After nearly five months of communication silence, Voyager 1 has resumed sending usable data back to NASA. The issue was traced back to a faulty chip in the Flight Data Subsystem (FDS) computer onboard the spacecraft. Engineers worked tirelessly to reconfigure the code and transmit it to the FDS memory on April 18.
The complexity of the code required engineers to divide and move sections to various locations in the FDS memory, as it was too large to be stored in a single location. Despite the challenge, the modification was successful, allowing engineers to check the health and status of the spacecraft once again.
With the communication issue resolved, the team is now focusing on adjusting additional portions of the FDS software affected. Voyager 1, launched in 1977, has traveled to the gas giant planets of the solar system, using Saturn as a gravitational slingshot to propel itself past Pluto. Voyager 2 also made significant stops at Uranus and Neptune on its mission.
It takes approximately 22.5 hours for a signal to travel from Earth to Voyager 1 and back, highlighting the incredible distance the spacecraft has covered. Moving forward, engineers are dedicated to ensuring that Voyager 1 continues to send back valuable scientific data to mission control as it continues its journey through space.
