Following the transmission of inconsistent signals by the Voyager 1 probe in May of this year, NASA finally discovered the source of the problem and was able to solve it (at least in part). A great feat knowing that the ship is currently more than 23.5 billion kilometers from Earth. The pioneer probe had transmitted inconsistent data from the device ensuring that its long radio antenna was pointed at Earth. This information was notably pre-relayed by a faulty on-board computer, generating nonsense once it arrived on Earth. Ultimately, even with more than 45 years of activity, the space probe would still be far from retiring, and seems to still have many years ahead of it. It may finally cross the “ultimate” frontier of the solar system, the Oort cloud, and may still deliver important discoveries.
Since May, Voyager 1 has been operating normally and continuing to transmit data to Earth through its Attitude and Articulation Control System (AACS), ensuring that its antenna is pointed at our planet. However, the information received seemed strangely inconsistent.
According to NASA, the origin of the problem would be a faulty on-board computer for years, which corrupted the information, and to which the AACS had sent the information to be processed to be received on Earth. To solve the problem, the engineers then simply reprogrammed the probe so that it sends the data from another on-board computer, a solution with less risk.
Today, the ship no longer activates its backup system (the safe mode) and no longer detects anything abnormal. However, it normally shouldn’t have relayed the information to that faulty computer, because that would mean there’s an upstream commands issue as well. The device would therefore have received an erroneous command from another defective system.
Research teams are still trying to determine where this problem comes from. ” We’ll do a full read of AACS’ memoir and look at everything he’s done », noted Suzanne Dodd, Voyager Project Manager at NASA Jet Propulsion, California. ” This will help us diagnose the issue that caused the telemetry inconsistencies in the first place. “, she adds.
Despite this unresolved upstream problem, the scientists assure that the long-term health of the probe is in no way threatened, as normal telemetry has been restored. ” We’re cautiously optimistic, but we still have some research to do says Dodd.
On the way to the Oort cloud?
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is now nearly 23.5 billion kilometers from Earth. By crossing the heliosphere, it has been officially in the interstellar medium for several years now. In particular, it crossed the line (heliopause) where the solar winds meet the cold and dense interstellar medium. The probe has since provided valuable data on how the heliosphere interacts with interstellar winds.
This new area of research has led to important discoveries such as the detection of a new type of electron burst in 2020.” The fact that the Voyager probes are returning information about the limit of the Sun’s influence, gives us unprecedented insight into truly uncharted territory. “, emphasizes in another press release Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.
However, you should know that the probe and its twin (Voyager 2) are still far from having truly left the solar system. The ultimate boundary of our solar system is indeed beyond the outer edge of the Oort cloud, where the Sun no longer exerts its gravitational influence. It is estimated that this asteroid cloud begins about 1000 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun and extends out to 100,000 AU. It would thus take nearly 300 years for the two probes to reach its inner edge and 30,000 more to cross it.
The two probes, having already exceeded all expectations and traveled well beyond their original destination, might have a slim chance of reaching the Oort cloud. They have indeed been reprogrammed many times remotely to now be equipped with capacities far superior to those they had at the time of their launches. They were originally intended for missions of around five years and have almost increased their lifespan tenfold. Future generations of scientists may be able to find a way to send them even further.