“Mysterious Silence: Nasa’s Communication Breakdown with Voyager 2 Raises Questions”

Voyager 2: NASA Picks Up ‘Heartbeat’ Signal After Sending Wrong Command

Published 12 hours ago

By Andre Rhoden-Paul, BBC News

Introduction

NASA has recently announced that it has picked up a faint signal, or what they refer to as a “heartbeat,” from the Voyager 2 probe. This comes after the spacecraft lost contact with Earth due to a wrong command being sent. Despite being billions of miles away from our planet, NASA was able to receive this signal during a regular scan of the sky. While communication is still limited, this development provides hope that contact with Voyager 2 can be fully restored soon.

The Circumstances

In a recent incident, Voyager 2 tilted its antenna two degrees away from Earth due to a wrong command. As a result, the spacecraft stopped receiving commands and transmitting data back to NASA. Voyager 2 is currently located more than 12.3 billion miles away from Earth, hurtling through interstellar space at an estimated speed of 34,390mph. Since July 21st, contact with the probe has been lost, and ground controllers have been unable to send commands to it.

The Recent Signal

On Tuesday, NASA announced that a signal from Voyager 2 was picked up during a regular sky scan. Although the spacecraft is still too far away for real-time communication, the fact that the signal was received confirms that Voyager 2 is still operational and in “good health.” NASA‘s Deep Space Network, a network of giant radio antennas spread across the world, is responsible for communicating with Voyager 2. Despite the limited contact, this recent discovery is crucial as it opens up possibilities for further communication and data transmission in the future.

The Challenges and Hope

Given the immense distance between Earth and Voyager 2, communication delays are expected. Signals from the spacecraft take approximately 18 hours to reach our planet. In an effort to regain contact, NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been bombarding Voyager 2’s location with the correct command while also resetting the probe’s orientation multiple times each year to keep its antenna pointing towards Earth. The next reset is scheduled for October 15th, and NASA believes it will enable full communication to be resumed. Until then, the spacecraft will continue on its planned trajectory through the universe.

The Legacy of Voyager 2

Voyager 2, along with its twin Voyager 1, are the only spacecraft to have operated beyond the heliosphere, the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields generated by the Sun. Voyager 2 is particularly notable for being the only spacecraft to have flown by Neptune and Uranus. These two probes were launched in 1977 to explore the outer solar system, taking advantage of a rare planetary alignment that occurs approximately every 176 years.

The Golden Record

As a testament to our human curiosity and to potentially communicate with extraterrestrial life, each Voyager spacecraft carries a Golden Record. This record contains sounds, images, and messages that tell the story of our world. It serves as a time capsule sent into space, hoping to reach beings beyond our solar system.

Conclusion

The recent discovery of a signal from Voyager 2, despite the difficulties in communication, is a significant step forward for NASA and the ongoing exploration of space. The fact that this spacecraft, launched over four decades ago, is still operational and transmitting data from such a vast distance is a marvel of human achievement. The potential for further communication after the reset in October offers hope that we may continue to learn more about the mysteries of our universe through the Voyager missions.

Published in The New York Times.