The Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977 and currently the most distant spacecraft from Earth, has resumed sending science data after experiencing a computer problem in November. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the four instruments on Voyager 1 are now back in operation, with the team receiving meaningful information from the spacecraft in April. Recently, they commanded Voyager 1 to begin studying its environment once again.
Voyager 1 is currently drifting through interstellar space, which is the area between star systems. Prior to reaching this area, the spacecraft made significant discoveries, such as finding a thin ring around Jupiter and observing several of Saturn’s moons. Voyager 1’s instruments are specifically designed to collect data on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles in its surroundings.
The twin spacecraft of Voyager 1, Voyager 2, is also in interstellar space and is positioned over 12 billion miles (19.31 billion kilometers) from Earth. Currently, Voyager 1 is located over 15 billion miles (24.14 billion kilometers) away from Earth.
This story was initially published on June 14,
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