Voyager 1 Experiences Communication Issues Beyond Solar System
The mission team suspects that the issue may be software-related, possibly originating in one of Voyager 1's three onboard computers, particularly with the flight data system (FDS).
Engineers at NASA are currently grappling with a communication problem on the legendary Voyager 1 spacecraft, which is currently located far beyond the boundaries of our Solar System. The probe has stopped transmitting coherent data back to Earth and is instead sending a repetitive and nonsensical binary code.
The mission team suspects that the issue may be software-related, possibly originating in one of Voyager 1's three onboard computers, particularly with the flight data system (FDS). It's believed that the FDS may have lost its ability to communicate with the telemetry modulation unit (TMU), a subsystem responsible for transmitting data to Earth.
Efforts have been made to restart the FDS and rectify the problem, but as of now, the spacecraft is still unable to send meaningful data. Due to the vast distance of more than 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) that Voyager 1 currently resides from Earth, it takes approximately 45 hours to receive a response from the probe after sending a command.
Engineers are diligently working to devise a solution to this communication glitch, drawing upon historical documentation and patience, given the substantial time delay in their interactions with the spacecraft.