NASA’s Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, is once again sending scientific data back to Earth. After experiencing a computer problem in November, Voyager 1’s four instruments are now operational again, as reported by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory this week. The team was able to receive meaningful data from Voyager 1 in April and recently resumed commanding the spacecraft to study its environment.
Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and has been drifting through interstellar space ever since. Prior to reaching this region, Voyager 1 made several significant discoveries, such as a thin ring around Jupiter and various moons of Saturn. The spacecraft’s instruments are specifically designed to gather information on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles present in its surrounding environment.
Despite being over 15 billion miles (24.14 kilometers) from Earth, Voyager 1 continues to send back valuable information to scientists on our planet. Its twin spacecraft, Voyager 2, is also in interstellar space and is more than 12 billion miles (19.31 kilometers) away. Together, these two spacecraft have expanded our understanding of the cosmos and continue to provide insights into the mysteries of the universe today.
