SCIENCE

NASA regains signal from Voyager 2

By Sanjana Shankar

1

Voyager 2 contact lost

NASA lost contact with Voyager 2 on July 21 after a few commands caused a change in the spacecraft's orientation, making its antenna point away from Earth.

2

Issue

As a result, signals from Voyager 2 couldn't reach ground systems and operators couldn't reorient the spacecraft.

3

Faint signal

Fortunately, on July 31, NASA detected a faint "carrier signal" from Voyager 2, confirming that the mission is still operating.

4

Repositioning command

Mission controllers are currently working on a new command to shift Voyager 2's antenna toward Earth.

5

Restoration

Vogayer 2 is designed to automatically alter its orientation a few times each year. After the next reset, scheduled for October 15, operators expect communications to be restored.

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