NASA's Voyager 1 lost Deep Space Network contact then restored
Technology
NASA's Voyager 1, an aging spacecraft launched in 1977, went quiet for two days in mid-October when engineers lost contact.
The Deep Space Network could not pick up its signals on October 18 and 19, but connection was restored on October 20.
NASA is now checking what caused the hiccup.
Voyager 1 automatically activated backup thrusters
During the blackout, Voyager 1 automatically switched to backup thrusters to keep itself steady, just as it was designed to do.
Mission manager Kareem Badaruddin said he was relieved to hear from the spacecraft again and noted that staying flexible is key for missions this far from home.
Coming up soon: on November 18, Voyager 1 will become one light-day from Earth, 16.09 billion miles away.