NASA’s Voyager 1 Probe Reconnects After Mysterious Blackout
NASA has finally reconnected with its Voyager 1 probe after a mysterious five-month blackout, the US space agency has announced. The Voyager 1 probe – the most distant man-made object in the Universe – is now returning readable information to ground control. It had previously been sending through incoherent information, leaving scientists puzzled about the cause. The spacecraft stopped sending readable data back to Earth on November 14, 2023, but controllers soon realized it was still receiving their commands. In March, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered that a chip malfunction was to blame and swiftly provided a fix. After implementing a coding fix to the faulty chip, Voyager 1 is back up and running again, yet scientists still need to determine how to resume receiving science data.
The Golden Records and Voyager’s Interstellar Journey
In January 2024, Voyager 1 reached 15 billion miles – or about 136 AU – from Earth, marking a significant milestone in its interstellar journey. The probe and its twin, Voyager 2, hold a special place in space exploration history as the only spacecraft to travel through interstellar space, according to NASA. Both Voyager spacecraft carry “Golden Records” – 12-inch, gold-plated copper disks designed to tell the story of humanity and our planet to any extraterrestrial life that may encounter them. These records include instructions for playback using a cartridge and needle, similar to a vinyl record player. They feature greetings in 55 languages, 35 sounds from Earth (such as whale songs, laughter), 90 minutes of Western music spanning from classical composers like Mozart and Bach to rock ‘n’ roll pioneers like Chuck Berry and Blind Willie Johnson, and 115 images depicting life on Earth. Additionally, recorded greetings from former US President Jimmy Carter and former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim add a personal touch to the collection.
Exploring More About Science
If you’re fascinated by the wonders of science and want to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Moon, the human body, and beyond, there’s a world of knowledge waiting for you. Discover more about the incredible realm of science and expand your understanding of the universe around you.