NASA plans 2026 'Big bang' maneuver to preserve Voyagers's instruments
NASA is gearing up for a bold move to keep its legendary Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft running.
These probes, launched way back in 1977, are almost out of juice after nearly 50 years in space.
In 2026, NASA plans to try a "Big Bang" maneuver that could save enough power to keep the Voyagers's science instruments alive for at least one more year.
Voyager 2 heater shutdown testing
The plan is to shut off heaters for the thruster fuel lines and switch on three other devices that will keep the fuel lines warm, basically squeezing out every last watt.
Testing starts with Voyager 2 this year, then Voyager 1 gets its turn.
With only a few instruments still working and their hardware getting old, NASA hopes this risky move will help the Voyagers hit their big milestones: turning 50 in space by 2027, and maybe even reaching 200 times Earth's distance from the Sun by 2035.