Voyager Probes: Pushing the Limits of Deep Space Exploration
Reza Abbasinejad
Research assistant at The University of Auckland ( Centre for Automation and Robotic Engineering Science)
Since their launch in 1977, NASA’s twin Voyager spacecraft have been breaking records and expanding the frontiers of human knowledge. Now, as they continue their journey through interstellar space, mission engineers are implementing new power-saving measures to extend their operations for as long as possible.
Maximizing Science with Minimal Power
The Voyager probes rely on a radioisotope power system, which generates electricity from the heat of decaying plutonium. However, with both spacecraft losing approximately 4 watts of power per year, mission engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have had to make difficult decisions to ensure their longevity.
On February 25, 2024, the cosmic ray subsystem experiment aboard Voyager 1 was turned off, and on March 24, Voyager 2’s low-energy charged particle instrument will be shut down. Despite these sacrifices, three science instruments on each spacecraft will continue gathering invaluable data.
Why These Changes Matter
The twin Voyagers carry 10 science instruments each. While some were deactivated after planetary flybys, others remain crucial for studying the heliosphere—the protective bubble created by the Sun’s solar wind—and interstellar space beyond it. Voyager 1 reached interstellar space in 2012, and Voyager 2 followed in 2018, making them the only human-made objects operating in this vast, uncharted region.
The instruments being turned off have been essential in studying cosmic rays and charged particles from the Sun and the galaxy. Voyager 1’s cosmic ray subsystem helped determine when the spacecraft exited the heliosphere, while Voyager 2’s low-energy charged particle instrument measured various ions, electrons, and cosmic rays.
The Engineering Feat Behind the Mission
Consider this: Voyager 2’s low-energy charged particle instrument has operated continuously since 1977, relying on a stepper motor designed to work for just 500,000 steps—enough to last through the spacecraft’s encounter with Saturn in 1980. By the time it is turned off this year, it will have completed over 8.5 million steps—an astonishing feat of engineering endurance.
“Every bit of additional data we have gathered is not only valuable bonus science for heliophysics but also a testament to the exemplary engineering that has gone into the Voyagers,” said Patrick Koehn, Voyager program scientist at NASA Headquarters.
How Much Longer Can the Voyagers Last?
With the latest power conservation measures, NASA estimates that at least one science instrument on each probe could continue operating into the 2030s. However, the spacecraft have endured the harsh conditions of deep space for 47 years, and unforeseen challenges could shorten this timeline.
Even now, the Voyagers remain the most distant human-made objects in existence:
A Mission That Keeps on Giving
“The Voyagers have been deep space rock stars since launch,” said Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at JPL. “Every day could be our last, but that day could also bring another interstellar revelation.”
NASA’s team continues to pull out all the stops to ensure that these trailblazing probes keep sending back data from the final frontier for as long as possible. Even as their power fades, their legacy will shine brightly—proving that human curiosity and ingenuity can push the boundaries of space exploration beyond imagination.
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