NASA’s Voyager 1, the spacecraft furthest from Earth, has resumed sending science data after experiencing a computer problem in November. According to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Voyager 1’s four instruments are now fully functional and have been collecting valuable information since April. Most recently, the team has commanded the spacecraft to study its environment once again.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is currently traveling through interstellar space, the vast region between star systems. Prior to reaching this uncharted territory, the spacecraft made significant discoveries, such as identifying a thin ring around Jupiter and observing several of Saturn’s moons. Equipped with instruments designed to measure plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles, Voyager 1 continues to provide valuable insights into the outer reaches of our solar system.
Voyager 1 is located over 15 billion miles away from Earth and continues to transmit data back to scientists. Its companion spacecraft, Voyager 2, is also in interstellar space and is more than 12 billion miles away. The ongoing mission of both Voyager crafts contributes to our understanding of the universe beyond our own solar system.
