In the vast expanse of space, billions of miles away from Earth, lies Voyager 2, a spacecraft that has been on a remarkable journey since its launch in 1977.

Last month an incorrect command sent from Earth caused the spacecraft’s antenna to tilt away, severing the communication link with its home planet. Today NASA, undeterred by the vast distances and complex challenges, have successfully restored contact with Voyager 2, ensuring the continuation of its extraordinary mission.

Voyager 2 Communication Issue

In July 2023, a routine command sequence inadvertently led to a significant problem communicating with the craft.

The command, issued by a technician at NASA, caused Voyager 2’s antenna to tilt 2 degrees from Earth, disrupting the vital communication link between the spacecraft and NASA’s Deep Space Network.

This network, an array of giant radio antennas spread worldwide, is the primary method for sending commands to and receiving data from distant spacecraft like Voyager 2.

The unintended antenna tilt meant that Voyager 2 could no longer accept orders or send back data, leaving it adrift in the interstellar void.

Since then, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory team has sprung into action. They devised a plan to send an “interstellar shout” – a powerful instruction aimed at reorienting Voyager 2’s antenna back towards Earth.

This command was sent using the highest-power transmitter at a giant radio dish antenna in Australia. Given the vast distance between Earth and Voyager 2 – over 12 billion miles – it took more than 18 hours for the command to reach the spacecraft and another 18 hours to receive a response.

After a tense wait, the team’s efforts paid off. Voyager 2 began returning data, indicating that it was operating normally and on its planned trajectory.

The successful restoration of communication with Voyager 2 was met with a collective sigh of relief from the team at NASA. The spacecraft, once again, began sending back valuable data from the depths of interstellar space.

This incident underscored the resilience of the Voyager spacecraft and the ingenuity of the teams that support them. Despite the challenges posed by the vast distances and the ageing technology of the spacecraft, the Voyager team demonstrated that they could overcome significant obstacles to keep the mission going.

Voyager 2: A Journey Through the Solar System

Voyager 2 has been on an extraordinary journey since 1977, and it is the only spacecraft to have visited all four gas giant planets in our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Voyager 2’s mission was designed to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment, enabling it to study the outer solar system up close.

Voyager 2 and its twin Voyager 1 embarked on a grand solar system tour in 1977, with Voyager 2 blasting off on August 20, 1977. The mission was designed to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment that occurs once every 176 years. The spacecraft has made groundbreaking discoveries and have sent back invaluable data about the outer planets and their moons.

Voyager 2 was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Titan IIIE-Centaur rocket. Weighing 1,592 pounds (721.9 kilograms), the spacecraft was equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, including an imaging science system, ultraviolet spectrometer, infrared interferometer spectrometer, planetary radio astronomy experiment, photopolarimeter, triaxial fluxgate magnetometer, plasma spectrometer, low-energy charged particles experiment, plasma waves experiment, cosmic ray telescope, and a radio science system.

The Grand Tour

Voyager 2’s trajectory was carefully planned, allowing it to fly by all four gas giant planets.

August. 4, 1977, photo provided by NASA, the “Sounds of Earth” record is mounted on the Voyager 2 spacecraft in the Safe-1 Building at the Kennedy Space Center. (NASA, File)

It made its closest approach to Jupiter on July 9, 1979, providing new data on the planet’s clouds, newly discovered moons, and ring system. The spacecraft then sped to Saturn, which flew closer to the world than any previous mission and provided more detailed images of Saturn’s rings and moons.

Voyager 2’s journey continued to Uranus, making it the first human-made object to fly past the planet.

Voyager 2 discovered ten new moons, two unique rings, and a magnetic field tilted at 55 degrees off-axis and off-centre during its flyby. The spacecraft also found evidence of a boiling ocean of water some 800 kilometres below the top cloud surface.

The final stop in the grand tour was Neptune. The spacecraft discovered five moons, four rings, and a “Great Dark Spot” during its flyby. Voyager 2 also revealed that Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, was the coldest known planetary body in the solar system and had a nitrogen ice “volcano” on its surface.

After its encounter with Neptune, Voyager 2 made its way to interstellar space, where its twin spacecraft, Voyager 1, had resided since August 2012.

On November 5, 2018, Voyager 2 officially entered interstellar space, making it the second human-made object to do so. Despite being in operation since 1977, Voyager 2 continues to send back data from at least some of the six instruments still in process. The data received from Voyager 2 should continue until at least 2025.

Voyager 2’s journey has given humanity an unprecedented view of the outer solar system. The data and images it has sent back have greatly expanded our understanding of the gas giant planets and their moons. Even as it travels through interstellar space, Voyager 2 continues contributing to our knowledge of the universe. Its mission, originally planned to last for five years, has turned into a voyage of over four decades and counting, making Voyager 2 one of the most successful and enduring feats of interplanetary exploration.

The Future of Voyager 2

Looking ahead, Voyager 2 continues its journey, moving farther away from Earth but still connected to its home planet. As long as its plutonium power source holds, Voyager 2 could continue to operate until the 50th anniversary of its launch in 2027 and possibly beyond.

The Voyager missions, including Voyager 2’s ongoing journey, represent a significant milestone in our space exploration. They have expanded our understanding of the solar system and pushed the boundaries of human exploration. As Voyager 2 continues its journey, it carries the story of human ingenuity and the thirst for knowledge, a testament to our desire to explore and understand the universe.