NASA is trying to figure out what that means.
Voyager-1 device , which was launched by NASA 45 years ago, began to transmit strange data. NASA experts are trying to understand what this is about, according to Space.com.
Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and went into what scientists call interstellar space in 2012. But that's not the end of his journey, at a distance of 23.3 billion kilometers from Earth, he still continues to transmit data.
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Despite the fact that the tools of the device work correctly, scientists have found that “Voyager-1” became entangled in its position in space, without going into safe mode and without transmitting other signals of problems.
“This mystery is a kind of norm at this stage of the mission. The device is almost 45 years old, which is much more than what the creators expected. It is also located in interstellar space, an environment with high levels of radiation that no spacecraft has ever been in, “said Voyager 1 project manager and his twin brother Voyager 2 Suzanne Dodd.
< p>The failure is due to the operation of the articulation and orientation control system “Voyager” or AACS, which keeps the device and its antenna in the correct orientation. According to scientists, AACS itself works properly because the device receives commands, executes them and sends scientific data in response with the same signal strength as usual. But the system sends unnecessary telemetry data to Earth.
NASA did not specify when the problem occurred and how long it lasted. The mission team will continue to investigate the failure to correct it or adapt the system to the new conditions. This is a very long process, as the signal to Voyager 1 goes 20 hours 33 minutes and the same amount back.
The twin of the device, Voyager 2, also launched in 1977, is working properly. At the same time, the amount of energy it can produce is constantly falling. Mission experts have included several additional tools that are believed to help the spacecraft operate at least until 2025. Voyager 2 is the first and only spacecraft to reach Uranus (January 1986) and Neptune. in August 1989). A total of 625 gigabytes of data were transmitted to Earth from both spacecraft. According to scientists, fuel reserves will allow the Voyager series to remain operational for another ten years. Then the connection with the Earth will be lost.
