NASA Fixes Glitch on Historic Voyager Spacecraft with Software Patch

NASA engineers have recently uploaded a software patch to correct a glitch that affected Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. The storied Voyager twins, which first embarked on their space adventures back in 1977, continue to write new chapters to mankind's interstellar journey.

Originally launched on Titan-Centaur rockets, these robotic spacecrafts were designed with the primary mission of collecting and compiling data from the giants of our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Despite initial plans for these probes to operate for a mere four years, their functionality continues to astound engineers, 46 years on.

One of Voyager's most memorable accomplishments includes capturing the famed 'Pale Blue Dot' photograph of Earth, shot from a staggering distance of over 6.4 billion kilometers in 1990. This image, coined as such by the late astronomer Carl Sagan, continues to delight space lovers globally.

As of 2023, Voyager 1 has clocked an impressive 24.1 billion kilometers from Earth, with Voyager 2 trailing slightly behind at 19.3 billion.

Recently, Voyager 1’s onboard computer began transmitting garbled status reports back to Earth, a complication which prompted NASA engineers to act. Extensive troubleshooting finally led engineers to isolate the issue to the craft’s attitude articulation and control system (AACS). However, the underlying cause of this issue remains elusive.

While this patch aims to remedy the issue, the vast age and physical distance of the spacecraft present unique challenges and potential risks. The time lag in communication and danger of overwriting essential code means the lesser valuable Voyager 2 will first test the patch. If successful, Voyager 1 will follow suit with their patch upload on October 28th, in a process that simultaneously checks the positioning of the AACS memory.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd likened this patch to an insurance policy, safeguarding the functionality and longevity of these remarkable explorers of deep space.