Scientists worried as Voyager 1 sends incoherent messages to Earth
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, currently over 24 billion kilometers away from Earth, has been sending back confusing messages since mid-November 2023. Stamatios "Tom" Krimigis, who oversees an onboard instrument, shared his concern, saying, "Frankly, I'm very worried." Meanwhile, Suzanne Dodd, Project Manager for the Voyager interstellar mission, called the issue a "serious problem," as the spacecraft is sending alternating 1s and 0s instead of binary code.
Troubleshooting Voyager 1's communication issues
To fix Voyager 1's communication problems, Dodd's team of about a dozen people has been studying old documents and mimeographs to understand the original developers' intentions. Dodd said they have a list of possible solutions and will likely send bolder and riskier commands to the spacecraft as time goes on. Linda Spilker, Voyager mission's Project Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, remains "cautiously optimistic" about the team's ability to troubleshoot the issue.
Impact on scientific research
The communication glitch has impacted scientific research. Stella Ocker, an astronomer with Caltech and the Carnegie Observatories, stated, "We haven't been getting science data since this anomaly started." The interstellar environment that Voyager 1 is exploring contains dust, gas, and cosmic rays that can only be sampled by the twin Voyager probes. Ocker's research relies specifically on Voyager 1's data since Voyager 2 cannot take the required measurements.
Limited time left for Voyager
Voyager 1's time is limited even if communication issues are resolved. The spacecraft is powered by plutonium which will eventually run out. To save power and extend lifespan, mission managers switched off heaters and took other measures. Krimigis, who took part in several space missions, said his motto was "50 years or bust," but acknowledged the probe is nearing that limit. In few years, the science instruments will have to be turned off one by one due to power shortages.
Voyager probes' legacy
When power runs out, the Voyager probes will become "space junk," according to Krimigis. However, Spilker pointed out that each spacecraft carries a golden record with greetings in multiple languages and Earth's sounds, which "may even outlast humanity as we know it." Despite this, Krimigis doubts any alien will encounter a Voyager probe, as space is mostly empty and the probability of the spacecraft running into a planet is slim. Voyager 1 will approach another star in about 40,000 years.
