A mission extension in 1981 allowed Voyager 2 to eventually fly past Uranus and Neptune, making it the only spacecraft yet to do so. 'Variable voltages pose a risk to the instruments, but we've determined that it's a small risk, and the alternative offers a big reward of being able to keep the science instruments turned on longer,' Suzanne Dodd, Voyager's project manager at JPL, said in the same statement.īoth Voyagers were only expected to last four years in space and to collect solar system science at Jupiter and Saturn. Everything has been working well on Voyager 2 for a few weeks with the new procedure, they noted. If everything works, Voyager 1 will use the same technique as it begins to run short on power next year, NASA officials said. Voyager: 15 incredible images of our solar system captured by the twin probes (gallery)Įngineers will monitor the success of this strategy on Voyager 2. Scientists' predictions for the long-term future of the Voyager Golden Records will blow your mind Voyager engineers keep on tickin' in new documentary 'It's Quieter in the Twilight' Related: Voyager turns 45: What the iconic mission taught us and what's next This decision will loosen voltage regulation on the spacecraft, but both the Voyagers have experienced 'relatively stable' levels of power, 'minimizing the need for a safety net.' 'Instead of reserving that power, the mission will now be using it to keep the science instruments operating,' NASA officials wrote in the statement. This regulator triggers a backup circuit that takes an extra bit of power from the RTG as surge protection in case of problems. That protection is called a voltage regulator.

Solving Voyager 2's power problems came down to removing a protection normally available to stop electricity surges from damaging the spacecraft's instruments. (Voyager 1 has only four running, due to a glitch with one instrument early in its lifespan, so it has enough power for all of them until 2024.) But power is now so low that tough decisions had to come this year for Voyager 2's five science instruments. The radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) they use decay over time, meaning the plutonium produces a little less power every year.Įngineers have already shut down heaters, alongside other non-essential systems, to prioritize science for the robust spacecraft. The Voyagers are both powered by nuclear energy, as the sun's rays are too weak for solar power so far out in deep space.

Interstellar cinderella