Science

Voyager 1 Defies the Odds: Thrusters Reactivated After 21 Years in Deep Space!

2025-05-15

Author: Wai

Since its launch on September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 has been on an incredible journey through the cosmos, surpassing any human-made object in distance from Earth. After completing its groundbreaking observations of the gas giants, Voyager has now entered the realm of interstellar space, continuing to send valuable data back to us.

However, after more than two decades of success, many of Voyager’s original systems are no longer operational. Some were intentionally shut down, like its iconic camera that snapped its last photos, while others succumbed to wear and tear.

A Critical Turnaround: Backup Thrusters Come to the Rescue!

The revival of Voyager’s backup roll thrusters marks a surprising twist in the spacecraft’s story. These thrusters are essential for maintaining its antenna’s alignment with Earth. The main thrusters had faced issues since 2004 when two internal heaters failed—but with time running short as residue buildup threatened their function, a bold decision was made.

Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager’s mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reflected, "At that time, the team accepted the failure of the primary roll thrusters, thinking we wouldn’t need them for another 20 years." Little did they know, Voyager would still be active and heading towards fresh challenges!

Preparing for a Communication Blackout!

With a communication hiatus expected from May 4 to February 2026 due to necessary upgrades at Australia's Deep Space Station 43, one of NASA's most powerful antennas, the team decided to reassess the main thruster problem. They theorized that a circuit disturbance might have inadvertently deactivated the thrusters, and if they could reactivate it with a simple command, they just might breathe life back into these dormant systems.

But the reactivation process was fraught with danger. If the thrusters fired prematurely during the activation attempt, it could lead to catastrophic results. Precision was key, and the mission team faced a formidable challenge in realigning the star tracker that measures Voyager's position—a task made all the more difficult by the 23-hour time delay for messages to travel across space.

Success Against All Odds!

Despite the challenges, the team executed the risky maneuver, and to everyone's astonishment, the main thrusters roared back to life. Todd Barber, the propulsion lead at JPL, celebrated this monumental achievement: "It was such a glorious moment. Team morale soared that day. These thrusters were thought to be dead, so it was miraculous to see them function again due to an engineer's insightful thinking!"

Once more, Voyager 1 has proven that in the vast expanse of space, where obstacles seem insurmountable, hope and ingenuity can lead to extraordinary revivals, giving us even more opportunities to explore the unknown!