NASA has made a strategic decision to conserve power by turning off a scientific instrument on its Voyager 2 spacecraft. The space agency confirmed on Tuesday that Voyager 2’s plasma science instrument, which is responsible for measuring the flow of charged atoms, was deactivated in late September. This move aims to extend the spacecraft’s exploration capabilities for as long as possible, with expectations to continue operating into the 2030s.
Following their exploration of the gas giant planets in the 1980s, NASA had previously powered down a suite of instruments on both Voyager 2 and its twin spacecraft, Voyager 1. Currently situated in interstellar space, the area between stars, Voyager 2 now has four remaining instruments operational. These instruments will focus on gathering data related to magnetic fields and particles with the objective of studying the vast expanses of space beyond the sun’s protective shield.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 holds the distinction of being the sole spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune. Presently located over 12 billion miles (19.31 billion kilometers) away from Earth, Voyager 2 continues its remarkable journey. Voyager 1, on the other hand, is positioned even farther, more than 15 billion miles (24.14 billion kilometers) away from our planet.
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