Voyager 1’s Computer Glitch Resolved: A Look at the Successful Plan Implementation

On April 20, the team successfully implemented a plan to address the computer glitch on Voyager 1. They divided the affected code into sections and stored them in different parts of the FDS to ensure proper functionality. Any references to the location of the code in other parts of the FDS memory were updated.

To implement this plan, they began by isolating the code responsible for packaging the spacecraft’s engineering data and relocated it to a new section in the FDS memory on April 18. Due to the vast distance of over 15 billion miles between Voyager 1 and Earth, a radio signal takes approximately 22 ½ hours to reach the spacecraft and another 22 ½ hours for a signal to return to Earth.

The modification was successful as confirmed by the mission flight team when they received a signal back from Voyager 1 on April 20. This marked a significant achievement in resolving the computer issue on Voyager 1, as it was the first time in five months that they were able to check its health and status.