Voyager 2 has lost communication since the 21st of last month
Antenna 2 is also crooked, making it impossible to ‘aim at Earth’
Anticipation of ‘resurrection’ when the antenna is reset in October this year
An artist’s rendering of Voyager 2 in flight in distant space. As the direction of the antenna attached to the fuselage was distorted, communication with Earth was stopped from the 21st of last month. Provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Communication between the Voyager 2 space probe, which is flying in space outside the solar system, 19.9 billion kilometers away from the Earth, and the Earth Control Center was suddenly cut off. This is because the direction of the antenna attached to Voyager 2 was distorted mechanically, making it impossible to accurately aim at the Earth.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 is the second most distant space probe after Voyager 1 launched in the same year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which operates Voyager 2, plans to reorient the antenna around October this year to restore communication.
According to the American science media Live Science and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the 31st (local time), communication between Voyager 2 and NASA’s Earth Control Center has been cut off since the 21st of last month.
Voyager 2 is a long-range space probe launched in 1977 along with Voyager 1, which is currently operating normally. Voyager 2 is 19.9 billion kilometers from Earth, and Voyager 1 is flying in space, 24 billion kilometers further away. Both probes are flying far beyond the solar system, well over 100 times the distance between Earth and the sun (150 million km).
According to NASA, the reason why communication with Voyager 2 was lost was due to a mechanical problem. In an official announcement, NASA explained, “On the 21st of last month, a command signal was sent to Voyager 2 according to the plan, but the Voyager 2 antenna was tilted in an unexpected direction.” did.
Because of this, Voyager 2 could not receive commands from Earth or send data it observed from space to Earth.
Fortunately, there is an opportunity to restore communication between Voyager 2 and Earth. Voyager 2 is programmed to orient its antenna toward the Earth for clear communication. The next antenna reset date is October 15 this year, and NASA expects to be able to resume communication with Voyager 2 at this time.
The ‘Voyager Golden Record’ attached to the fuselage of Voyager 1 and 2. Music, sounds of nature, and human language are recorded. Provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Voyager 2, along with Voyager 1, has historical and cultural significance. This is because the two probes have special objects attached to their bodies in preparation for encounters with extraterrestrial life with intelligence.
It is the Voyager Golden Record, a round information storage device made of gold-plated copper. Classical music, sounds of nature, and human voices are recorded on the Voyager Golden Record, which is 30 cm in diameter.
However, even if Voyager 2 is ‘resurrected’ this time, its lifespan is not long. Along with Voyager 1, Voyager 2 was loaded with plutonium, a radioactive material, and power was generated when the heat generated here was converted into electricity.
However, as 46 years have passed since the launch, the power supply capacity continues to decline due to aging. NASA expects that by 2025, both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will stop working.