Voyager 1, our first interstellar probe, is not only out beyond the heliosphere, but its warranty period as well, which is a compliment to the designers and builders of the probe. But now it’s having problems:
NASA has reported that while the venerable Voyager 1 probe appears to be functional, there does appear to be something up with some of its instruments. According to its recent press release, readouts from the Attitude Articulation and Control System (AACS) seem invalid.
For an as yet unknown reason, data received from the system doesn’t seem to match up with what’s actually happening onboard.
This piece of kit is vital for monitoring and controlling the 45-year-old probe’s orientation, and it is also vital for keeping Voyager 1’s high-gain antenna pointed precisely at Earth. This enables it to send data home, so is very important to keep working properly.
“All signs suggest the AACS is still working, but the telemetry data it’s returning is invalid. For instance, the data may appear to be randomly generated, or does not reflect any possible state the AACS could be in,” explains NASA. [Interesting Engineering]
A technical problem? A phenomenon interfering with the spacecraft? I wait with great anticipation.
