Voyager 2 found! Deep Space Network hears it chattering in space
- Reference: 1690962913
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/08/02/voyager_2_signal_detected/
- Source link:
The disco-era spacecraft was [1]detected by Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex's 70-meter dish, Deep Space Station 43 (DSS43), after a long-shot search.
The five-storey tall dish is the sole facility capable of reaching Voyager 2. It takes over 18 hours for a signal to travel from the probe to the dish, covering a distance of over 19 billion kilometers.
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"The Deep Space Network has picked up a carrier signal from [Voyager 2] during its regular scan of the sky. A bit like hearing the spacecraft's 'heartbeat,' it confirms the spacecraft is still broadcasting, which engineers expected," [3]explained JPL.
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Communications to VGER2 were severed when a series of planned commands to the probe inadvertently pointed its antenna's aim two degrees away from Earth on July 21. NASA set expectations that the situation would likely resolve on October 15, when the probe is scheduled to perform a regular and preplanned position recalibration.
[6]NASA mistakenly severs communication to Voyager 2
[7]Astronomers testing next-gen asteroid-hunting algorithm discover potentially hazardous object
[8]Australia down for scheduled maintenance: No talking to Voyager 2 for 11 months
[9]NASA, DARPA enlist Lockheed to build nuclear-powered spacecraft
NASA had no reason to suggest Voyager 2 would not operate normally unto that date, as there's nothing to stop it hurtling through space at 15 kilometers per second.
So far that expectation holds true.
Engineers will now try to send a corrective command to the probe to get it to turn its antenna to the correct position. If that doesn't work, there's always that reset on October 15.
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DSS43 and the 46-year old Voyager have had interruptions in the past, such as in 2020 when the dish was down for 11 months of [11]maintenance that left it unable to send communication for eight months. During that time, data from Voyager 2 could still be received.
Earlier this year a rainstorm saw the DSS43 subreflector [12]flooded , producing a short outage. ®
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[1] https://twitter.com/CanberraDSN/status/1686469699469778944
[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=2ZMopRApfULNKpTJt035r6AAAAw4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/1686390563313233920
[4] 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=44ZMopRApfULNKpTJt035r6AAAAw4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/31/nasa_mistakenly_disconnects_voyager_2/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/01/astronomers_testing_nextgeneration_asteroidhunting_algorithm/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2020/03/05/no_talking_to_voyager_2/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/27/nasa_darpa_nuclear_spacecraft/
[10] 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=44ZMopRApfULNKpTJt035r6AAAAw4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/03/05/no_talking_to_voyager_2/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/31/earth_to_voyager_2_standby/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Contact!
Staying Alive!
Reset: 15th October 2023...
...a Sunday.
JPL will be suffering some Saturday Night Fever beforehand!
[1977: a great year for disco loving space nerds!]
Reset?
Forgive me if this has been answered in another article - but what happens with this reset? Does the internal clock tick over to 15th October, and then does it just turn itself to a predefined point? Or does something else happen?
Re: Reset?
This gives a bit of insight regarding the question "what happens on the reset".
From [1]New Scientist .
But if anything were to go wrong, we would have no way to send any commands to Voyager 2 while the antenna is pointed away from Earth. “We are now generating a new command to attempt to point the spacecraft antenna toward Earth,” said Dodd. “There is a low probability that this will work.”
Even if it doesn’t work, all is not lost – Voyager 2 is programmed to automatically reset its orientation a few times a year in case of situations just like this one.
[1] https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385738-nasa-has-regained-contact-with-voyager-2-after-losing-it-for-a-week/
Re: Reset?
Thank you!
Re: Reset?
Also on ElReg: https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/31/nasa_mistakenly_disconnects_voyager_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."
Deep Space Network station
Check out eevblog on youtube for a 3 part tour of that facility with lots of techy details.
Re: Deep Space Network station
How's about a link ?
Re: Deep Space Network station
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=586Zn1ct-QA
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUvzgZt1Vug
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfZz4EnhJBE
All alone in space
Is it me, or does it sound like Voyager 2 is lonely in space, hoping that someone talks to him?
Re: All alone in space
just faithfully doing its duty, except with most of its systems offline due to degradation and reduced output from its power plant.
its a bit like a terminal prompt just blinking away with stuff going on in the back ground
Contact!
Yay! Woot woot!
Celebrating like Disco Stu!