NASA scientists are concerned about the Voyager 1 probe bug. For months, the interstellar mission has been communicating poorly. Teams are working to resolve the issue.
The mysterious bug in the Voyager 1 interstellar probe worries scientists. NASA has been trying to resolve a persistent problem with this mission for several months. In December 2023, the space agency explained that the glitch concerned the sending of scientific or technical data, which had become impossible from the probe. Voyager 1 nevertheless remained capable of receiving and executing commands issued from Earth.
The scientists are “ very worried » for Voyager 1
The torment for scientists working on Voyager 1 is palpable, says an NPR article published March 6, 2024. “ [Voyager 1] has all but stopped speaking to us coherently. This is a serious problem », Explains Suzanne Dodd, head of the Voyager 1 mission since 2020 at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, quoted by our colleagues. “ Honestly, I’m very worried », adds Stamatios Krimigis, astronomer and specialist in the LECP (low energy particle sensor) instrument on Voyager 1 and 2.
The mission certainly manages to send messages to Earth, but they are meaningless. Despite all of NASA’s attempts to resolve the problem, Voyager 1 continues to transmit completely inconsistently. According to the space agency, one of the probe’s onboard computers is the cause.
In 46 years of space flight, Voyager 1 has seen others
Despite these difficulties which make us fear the worst, we must keep in mind that Voyager 1 is a rather tough mission. Originally, his space epic was only supposed to last 4 years. “ The button you press to open your vehicle’s door has more computing power than the Voyager spaceships. It is remarkable that they continue to fly, and have done so for over 46 years », Estimates Suzanne Dodd to NPR.
This is also not the first time that NASA has faced a difficulty with its Voyager interstellar probes. Some time before this new enigmatic bug occurred on Voyager 1, an interstellar patch had been received by the two probes and was to be used to extend their lifespan.
The teams are currently immersed in the documentation of their predecessors, who designed the Voyager probes decades ago. A list of possible fixes is available to them.
If the problem is not resolved, NASA will undoubtedly attempt increasingly risky orders. Solving the Voyager 1 bug will take time: the probe is so far away that it takes about a day to send it a command and then just as much to receive its response. It will certainly still take weeks, if not months, to save Voyager 1.
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