NASA mistakenly severs communication to Voyager 2
- Reference: 1690783150
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/07/31/nasa_mistakenly_disconnects_voyager_2/
- Source link:
By the time the [1]news was released, the antenna on the spacecraft had been pointing two degrees away from the Earth for over a week.
This left it without the ability to receive commands or transmit data to antennae operated by the Deep Space Network (DSN).
[2]
NASA reckons the situation is temporary and will not end the probe's nearly 46-year stint in space as it is programmed to recalibrate its position a few times a year. October 15 is the next scheduled reset.
[3]
[4]
The space org added that Voyager 2's trajectory is expected to remain unchanged. The probe is currently around 32 billion kilometers from Earth, and gets 15km further away every second. The glitch does not impact Voyager 1, which is currently almost 24 billion clicks away from Earth and hurtling along at 17km/sec while staying in touch with home.
Voyager 2's electrical systems were [5]tweaked earlier this year, in the hope of extending its working life.
[6]NASA tweaks Voyager 2's power supply to avoid another sensor shutdown
[7]Square Kilometre Array Observatory construction commences
[8]Voyager 1 data corrupted by onboard computer that 'stopped working years ago'
[9]How did ESA's gamma ray-spotting 'scope make it to 20? They totally overdid it
If that procedure produces good results, a similar adjustment to Voyager 1 is on the cards.
In 2022, Voyager 1 also [10]experienced telemetry woes. Scientist found it sent back garbled information to Mission Control. It transpired that data was being routed incorrectly by a computer that had not worked for years.
[11]
Engineers at that time performed "telesurgery" to correct the issue, which essentially meant commanding the attitude articulation and control system (AACS) to resume sending the data to the right computer. And so the probe carried on.
In the past, engineers have [12]compared keeping the probes operational to keeping an old car running. The tech is severely outdated, yet it keeps ticking over – a trend often seen in the [13]spacecraft of past decades .
But while old cars can be lovingly worked on by hand in real time, the Voyagers are over 20 light hours from Earth, and communication crawls along at a tedious 160 bits per second. ®
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[1] https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2023/07/28/mission-update-voyager-2-communications-pause/
[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=2ZMeGR5vfLSyJDQIXBpLPNwAAAgw&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=44ZMeGR5vfLSyJDQIXBpLPNwAAAgw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] 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=33ZMeGR5vfLSyJDQIXBpLPNwAAAgw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/27/nasa_tweaks_voyager_2s_power/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/27/nasa_tweaks_voyager_2s_power/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/05/square_kilometre_array_observatory_construction_commences/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/voyager_1_telemetry_data_corrupted/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/20/esa_integral_20/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/voyager_1_telemetry_data_corrupted/
[11] 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=44ZMeGR5vfLSyJDQIXBpLPNwAAAgw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/voyager_1_telemetry_data_corrupted/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/20/esa_integral_20/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Talk it up
> the Voyagers are over 20 light hours from Earth, and communication crawls along at a tedious 160 bits per second.
Let BT marketers get at that information and it will be described as Stunningly-Fast Broadband at the Speed of Light ...
Re: Talk it up
BT Space Age Wifi - Our Wifi access points cover 20 light years of space and operate at superfast speeds* so you never have to worry about receiving that important email.
*upto 160 bits, speed will vary at busy times and will gradually get shittier over time as our wifi hotspot moves further away from Earth.
Re: Talk it up
Not just fast but compact too with a discrete 25 metre parabolic dish, be the envy of your neighbours.
Re: Talk it up
They'll still call it fibre.
Off topic
Quote: "....a tedious 160 bits per second...."
Yup.....tedious! In 1983, my trusty Osborne 01 had a 300 baud modem, used to communicate with Prestel.
I can tell from actual experience that 300 baud is way worse than tedious.....I gave up on Prestel in short order!
Re: Off topic
300 baud was adequate in the days when people communicated with grown-up text rather than childish pictures. But not so good for downloading large software packages.
Re: Off topic
Baud rates and pictures, anybody who remembers Bullitt and how modern that was then.
Re: Off topic
In the early 80s, the terminals in our Uni engineering department were linked to the mainframe at 110 bits/sec, and we still got productive work done. It just required a bit more planning.
Go you good things!
Go!
Auto-correcting antenna aiming! Amazing!
Hats off to the steely-eyed rocket men who considered the possibility that this might be a useful capability. In case, you know, somebody were to screw up and send Voyager an incorrect antenna-aiming command sequence. Which, of course, would never happen ...
Re: Auto-correcting antenna aiming! Amazing!
... rocket men who considered the possibility that this might be a useful capability.
Indeed ...
And most importantly kept information/knowledge of this very useful capability from the AH accountants who would have said it was not needed, too expensive, etc.
Because how could it be possible that ... somebody were to screw up and send Voyager an incorrect antenna-aiming command ... ?
Eternal kudos to the chaps behind the Voyager missions, their work is truly exemplary.
.
Re: Auto-correcting antenna aiming! Amazing!
Misaligning the antenna on Voyager 2? Sounds like a entry for the Ultimate "Who, Me?" article....
Voyager 1 & 2
Two of the most amazing pieces of engineering and technology in modern times!
'Go', because they just keep going!