NASA Voyager update - on Sept 26, one more instrument aboard Voyager 2 was turned off to conserve power - the plasma science instrument.
Over the 46 years since launch, Voyager instruments have gradually been shut off as power levels have declined by over 50%. Now just 4 science instruments remain active to study the region outside our heliosphere. See graphic below.
Note that the plasma science instrument on Voyager 1 failed and was turned off in 2007.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/voyager/2024/10/01/nasa-turns-off-science-instrument-to-save-voyager-2-power/
#Voyager
1/n
@[email protected] even if all that remains powered is the transponder and on board computers, that will be awesome.
The Voyager probes are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) which convert heat from decaying Plutonium Pu-238 into electricity using thermocouples.
In 47 years, the power level has dropped by over 50% to ~223 watts.
Pu-238 has a half-life of 87.7 years, i.e., in 87.7 years, 50% of its atoms decay to uranium-234 and then to lead-206.
The bi-metallic thermocouples, which are quite inefficient to begin with, also degrade over time, leading to a net loss of ~4W per year.
2/n
Here are some key metrics on the twin Voyager spacecraft.
Let’s take a moment to marvel at the 1970s technology in these spacecraft - computing hardware/software, instruments, RTGs, thrusters, etc. - most of which are still operational after 47 years in the harsh environment of space, 22:53 and 19:04 light hours away resp., with no maintenance or repairs, just workarounds around few failures, quietly exploring where no spacecraft has explored before.
👏
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/where-are-they-now/
#Voyager
3/n@[email protected] just amazing. Great times 70s,80s :) when we we’re happy and didn’t know it :)
