Finally, engineers have a clue that could help them save Voyager 1

Enlarge / Artists drawing of THE Traveler 1 spatialship. Caltech/NASA-JPL

It is has been four month Since from NASA Traveler 1 spatialship sent A intelligible signal back has Earth, And THE issue has perplexed engineers charge with monitoring THE probe exploring interstellar space.

But There is A renewed optimism among THE Traveler ground team base has from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory In California. On March 1, engineers sent A order up has Traveler 1 more that 15 billion kilometers (24 billion kilometers) far Since Earth - to "gently fast" A of THE spatialship computers has to try different sequences In It is software wrap. This was THE last stage In from NASA long distance troubleshooting has to try has isolate THE cause of THE issue to prevent Traveler 1 Since to transmit consistent telemetry data.

Cracking THE case

Civil servants suspicious A piece of corrupt memory inside THE Flight Data Subsystem (MSDS), A of three main computers on THE spatialship, East THE most likely guilty For THE interruption In normal communication. Because Traveler 1 East SO far far, he takes about 45 hours For engineers on THE ground has know how THE spatialship reacted has their orders - the One Way light journey time East about 22.5 hours.

THE MSDS collects science And engineering data Since THE spatialship sensors, SO combined THE information In A Single data wrap, which go through A separated component called THE Telemetry Modulation Unit has beam he back has Earth through of the Traveler high gain antenna.

Engineers are almost entirely certain THE issue East In THE MSDS computer. THE communications systems on board Traveler 1 appear has be functioning Normally, And THE spatialship East Sending in progress A constant radio Your back has Earth, but There is No usable data content In THE signal. This means engineers know Traveler 1 East alive, but they to have No preview In What part of the SDS memory East provoking THE problem.

But Traveler 1 replied has THE March 1 troubleshooting order with something different Since What engineers to have seen Since This issue First of all appeared on November 14.

"THE new signal was always not In THE format used by Traveler 1 When THE MSDS East functioning correctly, SO THE team was not initially Of course What has TO DO of he," NASA said In A update Wednesday. "But A engineer with THE the agency Deep Space Network, which works THE radio antennas that communicate with both Travelers And other spatialship traveling has THE Moon And beyond, was able has decode THE new signal And find that he contains A reading out loud of THE entire MSDS memory."

NOW, engineers are meticulously comparing each little of coded Since THE MSDS memory reading out loud has THE memory reading out loud Traveler 1 sent back has Earth Before THE issue arose In November. This, they hope, will allow them has find THE root of THE issue. But he will probably take weeks Or month For THE Traveler team has take THE following stage. They don't do it to want has cause more harm.

"By using that information has design A potential solution And attempt has put he In action will take time," NASA said.

This East maybe THE most serious disease THE spatialship has encounter Since It is launch In 1977. Traveler 1 stole by Jupiter And Saturn Before get A cut Since that of Saturn gravity has speed In THE outside solar system. In 2012, Traveler 1 between interstellar space When he crossed THE heliopause, Or THE solar wind, THE flow of particles emanating Since THE Sun, push against A supposedly galactic wind, THE particles that populate THE empty between THE stars.

Engineers to have guard Traveler 1 And It is double, Traveler 2, alive For more that 46 years, overcome technical problems that to have sentenced other space missions. Both probes confront decline power Since their nuclear batteries, And there are concerns about their thrusters aging And fuel lines become mouth, among other things. But each time there East A issue, ground teams to have come up with A trick has keep THE Travelers while going, often SEO filing cabinets of fraying plans And engineering documents Since THE spatialship design And construction almost 50 years there is.

Suzanne Dodd, from NASA project director For Traveler 1 And It is double, Traveler 2, ...