NASA ’s Voyager 1 spacecraft , the farthest ballistic capsule from Earth , just turn on some of its thruster that have n’t been used since 1980 .
presently the only spacecraft we ’ve ever sent to interstellar space , Voyager 1 ’s attitude control thrusters – which it had used to betoken its feeler towards Earth – had been wearing down . When it can no longer point its antenna to Earth , we ’ll no longer be able-bodied to contact it .
In an crusade to prolong the life-time of the space vehicle , scientists at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) in California retrieve they were able to use another stage set of thrusters on the spacecraft to perform this job . This could extend the liveliness of the spacecraft beyond 2020 .
" With these thrusters that are still working after 37 years without purpose , we will be able to stretch the life sentence of the Voyager 1 spacecraft by two to three year , " order Suzanne Dodd , labor managing director for Voyager at JPL , in astatement .
These thrusters are called the flight correction maneuver ( TCM ) thrusters . They were earlier used by the spacecraft to navigate past the planet Jupiter and Saturn as it made its way out of the Solar System .
The modish planetary encounter wasSaturnon November 8 , 1980 , so the thruster had n’t been used since then . But the other Clarence Day , the squad decided to try firing them up again , to see if they still work .
They give the sack up the four thrusters for the first prison term in27 years37 years(edit : sorry!)on Tuesday , November 28 . It contract 19 hr and 35 minutes for Voyager to place the results of the examination back , owe to itsdistance from Earth(21 billion kilometers or 13 billion miles ) . On Wednesday , November 29 , they get check that it had worked .
“ The Voyager squad generate more activated each time with each milepost in the pusher test , ” Todd Barber from JPL said in a statement . “ The mood was one of relief , joy , and skepticism after witnessing these well - rested thruster clean up the wand as if no clock time had passed at all . "
The TCM thruster are like in sizing and functionality to the other thrusters . However , Voyager has to turn over on one smoke per thruster so as to use them , which run out power . So they ’ll use the TCM thrusters until there is n’t enough ability for the heaters and then switch back to the other thrusters .
All in all , it ’s good news for Voyager 1 fan . It means the spacecraft will last just that fiddling bit longer , as it continues to send back fascinating data from beyond the Solar System . The team is planning to test the TCM thrusters on the twin Voyager 2 space vehicle , which should exit the Solar System in the next few age .
