Voyagers high-gain antenna, seen at the center of this illustration of the NASA spacecraft, is one element managed by the attitude expression and control system (AACS). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Engineers do not yet understand why the AACS began routing telemetry data to the inaccurate computer. They think it most likely received a malfunctioning command generated by another onboard computer. It would show there is still an issue someplace else on the spacecraft if thats certainly the case. The group will continue browsing for that underlying issue, but they do not think it is a danger to the long-lasting health of Voyager 1.
“Well do a complete memory readout of the AACS and look at everything its been doing. That will help us try to identify the issue that caused the telemetry problem in the first place.
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have actually been exploring our solar system for 45 years. Both spacecraft are now in interstellar space, the region outside the heliopause, or the bubble of energetic particles and magnetic fields from the Sun.
More About the Mission
A department of Caltech in Pasadena, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) built and runs the Voyager spacecraft. The Voyager objectives are a part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
A problem impacting information from NASAs Voyager 1 spacecraft has been repaired by engineers. Previously this year, the probes mindset expression and control system (AACS), which keeps Voyager 1s antenna pointed at Earth, began sending out jumbled information about its health and activities to objective controllers, even though it was otherwise running typically. If thats undoubtedly the case, it would indicate there is still a problem somewhere else on the spacecraft. The group will continue browsing for that underlying issue, however they do not think it is a threat to the long-lasting health of Voyager 1.
An artists idea shows the Voyager spacecraft taking a trip through area versus a field of stars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
A problem affecting information from NASAs Voyager 1 spacecraft has been fixed by engineers. Earlier this year, the probes attitude articulation and control system (AACS), which keeps Voyager 1s antenna pointed at Earth, began sending jumbled information about its health and activities to objective controllers, although it was otherwise operating generally. It likewise appeared that the rest of the probe was healthy as it continued to return and collect science information.
Ever since, the group has actually located the source of the garbled details: The AACS had started sending out the telemetry information through an onboard computer system understood to have actually malfunctioned years ago, and the computer system damaged the information.
Suzanne Dodd, Voyagers project supervisor, stated that when they suspected this was the concern, they decided to attempt a basic, low-risk option: commanding the AACS to resume sending the data to the ideal computer system.