The space agency had expected a regular reset of the probe in October to fix the error- NASA
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The space agency said that its lost Voyager 2 probe is back in full touch with Earth months sooner than anticipated.
The 1977 spacecraft that was dispatched to explore the universe received a faulty command in July, which caused it to change its position and lose touch. Tuesday’s signal was detected, but thanks to an “interstellar shout”—a strong directive—the antenna is now facing Earth’s back.
Initially, NASA had hoped that the spacecraft would reset itself in October.
Given that Voyager 2 is billions of miles away from Earth, it took mission controllers 37 hours to determine whether the interstellar command had been successful.
According to Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd, the staff utilized the “highest-power transmitter” to send a message to the spacecraft and timed it to be delivered at “the best conditions” so the antenna would line up with the order.
The probe had been unable to receive instructions from Earth or transmit data to the Deep Space Network, a global network of enormous radio antennas, once communication was lost.
On August 4, however, the space agency declared that data had been received from the spacecraft and that it was functioning normally.
The spaceship will likely continue traveling through the cosmos on its intended course, according to NASA.
On Monday, the space agency said its huge dish in Australia’s capital, Canberra, was trying to detect any stray signals from Voyager 2. This was when the first faint “heartbeat” signal was heard.
The antenna had been bombarding Voyager 2’s area with the correct command, in the hope of somehow making contact, Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the Voyager missions, said.
The probe is programmed to reset its position multiple times each year to keep its antenna pointing at Earth. The next reset is due on 15 October, which Nasa had rested its hopes on if all other attempts had failed. Voyager 2 and its twin Voyager 1 are the only spacecraft ever to operate outside the heliosphere, the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields generated by the Sun. They reached interstellar space in 2018 and 2012 respectively.
The probes were made to examine Jupiter and Saturn by taking advantage of a rare alignment of the outer planets that happens every 176 years. Voyager 1 is currently approximately 15 billion miles from Earth, making it the farthest distant spacecraft ever built by humanity. Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have ever flown by Neptune and Uranus.
Both spacecraft will keep roving across space until they run out of fuel, which is anticipated to happen beyond 2025.
Source- BBC News
