NASA's Quest to Upgrade the Voyager Probes From 16 Billion Miles Away
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory assembles Voyager 2 in March of 1977. It just got another upgrade, in 2026.Credit: NASA/JPL
Earlier this month, NASA successfully completed an update to the Voyager 2 probe that researchers believe could extend its mission lifetime into the 2030s. Now, the same team is gearing up to perform a similar upgrade onboard Voyager 1, extending its lifetime as well.
How does a team upgrade a probe that's already far beyond Pluto? Well, it comes down to the form of the upgrade.
The Voyager probes are both powered by devices that harness energy released during the decay of plutonium, which gives them a low maximum power output but also gives them incredibly long lifetimes. Nothing lasts forever, however, and even the Voyager generators produce about four watts less power every year.
Launched in 1977, the Voyager probes have endured this attrition for quite some time. Most estimates...
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