NASA shared updates on the remarkable Voyager 1, currently navigating challenges at a staggering distance of 15 billion miles from Earth.
According to the US space agency, the historic spacecraft is experiencing difficulties with its flight data system (FDS), a pivotal element that gathers and sends scientific and engineering data back to Earth.
While Voyager 1 is successfully receiving and executing commands from Earth, the FDS is encountering communication glitches with the telemetry modulation unit (TMU), impeding the transmission of binary-coded data. The TMU, responsible for transmitting data, is exhibiting an unusual pattern of repetitive ones and zeros, indicating a potential malfunction.
Astronomer Stella Ocker regrets Voyager 1's mishap, which lost crucial scientific data, per NPR. The spacecraft's unusual position beyond the solar system gives Ocker's research unmatched interstellar space insights.
Complicated Problem
Engineers are diligently working to troubleshoot and address the spacecraft's issues. After failing to restart the FDS, the Voyager team must create a new approach spanning many weeks or even months. According to NASA's blog, resolving Voyager 1's challenges involves consulting decades-old documents, complicating the understanding of potential consequences for spacecraft operations.
The inherent communication delay further complicates the troubleshooting process, with commands taking 22.5 hours to reach Voyager 1 and an additional 45 hours needed for response evaluation.
Voyager 1, launched in 1977, had an amazing space voyage exploring the outer regions of our solar system. Mission management has extended the life of the spacecraft by turning off heaters and employing other energy-saving methods.
Nevertheless, it is likely to shut down in the 2030s due to its plutonium power source running out. Given the situation, scientists are planning a new NASA-funded project to send another probe even farther out into space between stars.
(Photo: NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
An artist's impression of NASA's Voyager 1 space probe passing behind the rings of Saturn, using cameras and radio equipment to measure how sunlight is affected as it shines between the ring particles. The image was produced in 1977, before the craft was launched, and depicts events due to take place in 1980.
New NASA Astronauts Ready to Take on Space Missions
In another development, NASA's newest astronauts were unveiled at Houston's Johnson Space Center. These ten graduates, dubbed as The Flies, were chosen from over 12,000 hopefuls to undergo a two-year training program in robotics, spacewalking, and space station operations to prepare them for space travel, as previously reported by TechTimes.
With their astronaut certification now in hand, the new astronauts may now go on a variety of missions, such as trips to the International Space Station (ISS), commercial space stations, the Artemis lunar exploration program, or even Mars. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the astronauts' varied backgrounds and areas of expertise, highlighting the vital role they play in expanding the boundaries of space exploration.
The newly graduated NASA astronauts are Nichole Ayers from Colorado Springs, Colorado; Marcos Berríos from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Chris Birch from Gilbert, Arizona; Deniz Bunham from Wasilla, Alaska; Luke Delaney from Debary, Florida; Andre Douglas from Chesapeake, Virginia; Jack Hathaway from South Windsor, Connecticut; Anil Menon from Minneapolis; Chris Williams from Potomac, Maryland; and Jessica Wittner from Clovis, California.
In a show of international collaboration, UAE astronauts Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammad AlMulla trained with NASA astronauts and attended the Flies' graduation ceremony. This relationship between NASA and the UAE includes ISS flights, Artemis program collaborations, and Earth and space research.
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