After nearly half a century in deep space, every ping from Voyager 1 is a bonus
- Reference: 1757241072
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/07/48_years_voyager_1/
- Source link:
Although engineers reckon that the aging spacecraft might survive well into the 2030s before eventually passing out of range of the Deep Space Network, the spacecraft's cosmic ray subsystem was [1]switched off in 2025 . More of the probe's instruments are earmarked for termination as engineers eke out Voyager's power supply for a few more years.
On September 5, 1977, the power situation was a good deal healthier when the mission got underway. Launched just over two weeks after Voyager 2, Voyager 1 was scheduled to make flybys of Jupiter and Saturn. It skipped a visit to Pluto in favor of a closer look at the Saturnian moon Titan, which had an intriguing atmosphere.
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The launch was the final one for the Titan IIIE rocket and was marred slightly by an earlier-than-expected second stage engine cutoff. NASA averted disaster by using a longer burn of the Centaur stage to compensate, and Voyager 1's mission to Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond began.
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Voyager 1's journey to the launchpad began with the "Grand Tour" concept of the 1960s, in which Gary Flandro of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) noted an alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune would occur in the 1970s, allowing a probe to swing by all the planets by using gravity assists.
Two missions were planned – one to be launched in 1977 to Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto, and another in 1979 to visit Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The concept gained support, but with costs spiraling and NASA also trying to develop the Space Shuttle, it was scaled back to visit two planets with two probes, derived from the Mariner program.
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Indeed, the mission was known as the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn project until shortly before the 1977 launch, when the name "Voyager" was selected.
One of the Voyager scientists, Dr Garry Hunt, [6]told The Register that the idea of doing a Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Neptune mission had never really gone away, and engineers fueled the spacecraft fully expecting to be granted an extension.
"We knew that if you filled up to brimming point the spacecraft with all the fuel it ever needed, it'd be OK," recalled Hunt. "We did. But we never told anybody."
[7]NASA to silence Voyager's social media accounts
[8]Odd homage to '2001: A Space Odyssey' sees 'Blue Danube' waltz beamed at Voyager 1
[9]NASA keeps ancient Voyager 1 spacecraft alive with Hail Mary thruster fix
[10]More Voyager instruments shut down to eke out power supplies
Voyager 1 could have performed the same Grand Tour as Voyager 2, and would have if disaster had befallen the latter at or soon after launch. However, it was Voyager 2 that swung past Uranus and Neptune, while Voyager 1 took a trip past Titan before finally heading away from the planets. It used its cameras to take one last set of images – the famous "Solar System Family Portrait," comprising six of the solar system's eight planets and, of course, the "Pale Blue Dot" image.
Voyager took the [11]images on February 14, 1990. "That was always our farewell thing," said Hunt. "That was our Valentine's present for 1990."
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Farewell? Not quite. Voyager 1 continues to send data back to Earth, 48 years after its launch. Yes, there have been [13]issues – a recent computer problem onboard the probe required some impressive engineering on the ground to work around a failed component – but the mission continues, with every passing year a bonus. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/06/voyager_power_down/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aL2sF6RR5ifQvEwfL4XVHAAAAE8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aL2sF6RR5ifQvEwfL4XVHAAAAE8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aL2sF6RR5ifQvEwfL4XVHAAAAE8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2018/09/18/garry_hunt_interview/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/11/nasa_to_silence_voyagers_social/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/02/waltz_into_space_project/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/15/voyager_1_survives_with_thruster_fix/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/06/voyager_power_down/
[11] https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/voyager/2025/09/04/vintage-nasa-see-voyagers-1990-solar-system-family-portrait-debut/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aL2sF6RR5ifQvEwfL4XVHAAAAE8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/voyager_1_restored/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"We knew that if you filled up to brimming point the spacecraft with all the fuel it ever needed, it'd be OK," recalled Hunt. "We did. But we never told anybody."
The power of the fair accompi and a gift to future decades of science.
I'm glad that in this episode of "engineers vs accountants" the engineers won for once.
And we still benefit from it, decades later.
It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission.
The inspiration continues
May the science continue.
The only question left being...
... will it finally reach the 'We apologize for the inconvenience' signpost - and take a good picture of it?
We couldn't do it again
This country went from landing on the Moon to "This bag is not a toy!" and arguing about evolution in 40 years. This makes me very sad.
Re: We couldn't do it again
Given the political landscape at the time (pre Roe vs Wade, fascist rocket engineers, negligible LGBTQ++ BIPOC rights, intelligence overreach) the timing is probably perfect for a second try at a moon landing.
Let;s hope it doewsn't come back after meeting the Borg...
Let's hope for the best, but...
> the aging spacecraft might survive well into the 2030s before eventually passing out of range of the Deep Space Network
That's assuming the DSN isn't DOGEd out of existence. The NASA budget is shrinking, and we can expect that soon some clueless businesscritter will get appointed as administrator, and he'll claim we don't need all those old, huge, expensive antennas, we have Starlink now (or some similar stroke of genius)... The race to the bottom has only just begun. :-(
"Voyager 1 could have performed the same Grand Tour as Voyager 2, and would have if disaster had befallen the latter at or soon after launch. However, it was Voyager 2 that swung past Uranus and Neptune, while Voyager 1 took a trip past Titan before finally heading away from the planets.”
I believe it was the other way round, close observation of Titan was considered more important. Voyager 2 was launched first because it was put on a longer trajectory to encounter the outer planets, Voyager 1 was launched two weeks later but on a shorter trajectory and overtook its sister after three months. To make a close encounter with Titan, it was necessary to fly over Saturn’s south pole and so out of the ecliptic plane and precluded visiting Uranus and Neptune. Had something happened to it to prevent observation of Titan, it was possible to redirect Voyager 2 to do so, but pass on the opportunity to visit the outer planets. Luckily this wasn’t needed.
I never fail to be impressed
Year after year, these probes are still going. Every time they appear in the news I do tend to wonder if they have finally lost power, and am amazed to find they still communicate and still just about work.
I know the mission was only supposed to last five years, but it's not easy to find how long anyone actually expected either probe to last. Certainly no-one could have predicted a near-on 48 year lifespan.