NASA has successfully reestablished full contact with its lost Voyager 2 probe, months ahead of the original expectations, the space agency reported.
Back in July, an incorrect command had altered the spacecraft’s position and severed communication with Earth.
However, on Tuesday, a signal was detected, and an “interstellar shout” – a powerful instruction – allowed the probe’s antenna to realign with Earth.
NASA had initially anticipated a possible self-reset of the spacecraft in October. It took mission controllers 37 hours to confirm whether the interstellar command had been effective, considering Voyager 2’s vast distance from Earth.
Utilizing the “highest-power transmitter,” the space agency sent a precisely timed message during optimal conditions to align the spacecraft’s antenna with the command.
Prior to this breakthrough, the probe had been unable to receive instructions or transmit data due to the severed communication with NASA’s Deep Space Network, an array of large radio antennas scattered across the globe.
On 4 August, NASA confirmed the receipt of data from Voyager 2, confirming its normal operations. The spacecraft, equipped with various scientific instruments, is expected to continue on its planned trajectory through the universe.
NASA’s large dish in Canberra, Australia, had been actively seeking any stray signals from Voyager 2. The first faint “heartbeat” signal was detected during this process. The antenna had been persistently sending the correct command to the spacecraft, hoping for a connection.
Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, are the only spacecraft to have ventured beyond the heliosphere, the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields generated by the Sun. Voyager 2 has flown by Neptune and Uranus, while Voyager 1, currently over 15 billion miles away from Earth, holds the record as humanity’s most distant spacecraft.
Even after their power runs out, expected after 2025, both Voyager probes will continue their journey through space.