It took an interstellar “shout” throughout the photo voltaic system. But NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory stated on Friday that it re-established full communications with Voyager 2, an growing older probe exploring the outer edges of the photo voltaic system.
“After two weeks of not hearing anything, we’re back to getting unique data from the interstellar medium,” stated Linda Spilker, a planetary scientist on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the lead mission scientist for Voyager 2.
The house company misplaced contact with Voyager 2 on July 21 when the mission group by accident despatched a command that pushed the spacecraft’s antenna two levels away from Earth. On Tuesday morning, officers from the Deep Space Network, a worldwide system of radio dishes NASA makes use of to speak with varied house probes, detected a service sign referred to as a heartbeat from Voyager 2. It was too faint to extract any information, however sufficient to verify that the mission was nonetheless working.
Nonetheless, with the ability to decide up solely the heartbeat “was upsetting and worrisome,” stated Suzanne Dodd, the mission supervisor for Voyager 2.
The mission group hatched a plan to ship a command on Wednesday reorienting Voyager 2’s antenna again to Earth, utilizing a Deep Space Network radio dish in Canberra, Australia.
The possibilities of success had been slim, in accordance with a spokeswoman on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It took 37 hours to know whether or not the try was profitable — 18.5 hours for the sign to make it to Voyager 2, and one other 18.5 for the info to return.
Ms. Dodd stated the ready interval “was pretty nervewracking. You don’t sleep well.”
Scientists, engineers and the flight group had been “waiting on pins and needles to hear back from Voyager 2, to see if the command was successful,” Dr. Spilker stated. “It was all hands on deck.”
But it labored: On Friday at 12:29 a.m. Eastern time, Voyager 2 started transmitting science information as soon as once more. Scientists additionally confirmed that the probe remained on its unique path.
According to Dr. Spilker, mission management in California reacted to the nice news with numerous excessive fives, tears and sighs of aid.
Voyager 2 launched to house on Aug. 20, 1977, to fly by the photo voltaic system’s outer planets after which discover the interstellar house that lies past it. The almost 46-year-old probe is at present greater than 12.5 billion miles away from Earth and is accumulating information on the distant area of house for scientists to check. Its twin, Voyager 1, was launched weeks after Voyager 2 and have become the primary to cross the photo voltaic system’s boundary.
Had it not established contact, the mission group would have needed to wait till Oct. 15, when Voyager 2 is programmed to do an automated reset of the course of its antenna.
But it not wants to attend, and the mission has resumed information transmissions from past the photo voltaic system’s heliosphere.
“We did an assessment and the spacecraft looks very healthy, very normal,” Ms. Dodd stated. The mission group will proceed to run exams to totally perceive the standing of the spacecraft earlier than resuming common exercise.
Ms. Dodd seems ahead to celebrating the probe’s launch anniversary later this month. “Both of these spacecraft are truly remarkable in their longevity,” she stated, referring to Voyager 2 and Voyager 1. “They’re like the spacecraft with nine lives.”
Source: www.nytimes.com