Close Menu
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's On

The High-Flying Escalation of CBP’s Predator Drone Flights Over LA

13 June 2025

Vivo T4 Lite 5G Price in India, Launch Timeline Leaked; Said to Pack 6,000mAh Battery

13 June 2025

Steam for Mac Now Available as Native Apple Silicon App With Latest Beta Release

13 June 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Just In
  • The High-Flying Escalation of CBP’s Predator Drone Flights Over LA
  • Vivo T4 Lite 5G Price in India, Launch Timeline Leaked; Said to Pack 6,000mAh Battery
  • Steam for Mac Now Available as Native Apple Silicon App With Latest Beta Release
  • Trump Wants to Kill California’s Emissions Standards. Here’s What That Means for EVs
  • Vivo Y400 Pro 5G Will Soon Make Its Way to the Indian Market, Rear Design Teased
  • The Best Totes for Travel When You’ve Run Out of Room in Your Carry-On
  • Vivo X200 FE Specifications Leaked, May Feature MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ Chipset
  • The 13 Best Packing Cubes for Every Kind of Trip
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release
Subscribe
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
Home » Computer glitch hampers Voyager 1’s communication system
News

Computer glitch hampers Voyager 1’s communication system

News RoomBy News Room15 December 20232 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

The Voyager 1 spacecraft is experiencing a communication issue, meaning it is currently unable to send science data back to Earth. Launched in 1977, the pair of Voyager probes are the most distant man-made objects in the universe, having traveled beyond the orbit of the planets and into interstellar space, the region between stars.

NASA announced the issue this week, confirming that the spacecraft was still able to send and receive commands but not science data. “Engineers are working to resolve an issue with one of Voyager 1’s three onboard computers, called the flight data system (FDS),” NASA wrote in an update. “The spacecraft is receiving and executing commands sent from Earth; however, the FDS is not communicating properly with one of the probe’s subsystems, called the telemetry modulation unit (TMU). As a result, no science or engineering data is being sent back to Earth.”

The Flight Data System or FDS collects information from both the spacecraft’s systems and its science instruments, bundling this information up so it can be sent to Earth in binary by the telemetry modulation unit or TMU. Engineers on the ground noticed that the TMU was sending a repeating binary pattern, indicating that it was experiencing some kind of error and was not transmitting real data, and they traced the source of the problem to the FDS.

NASA warns that it could take some time to come up with a fix for this issue, given that the spacecraft hardware is decades old. Another problem is that because the spacecraft is so far away, it takes considerable time to send and receive messages from Earth — currently, it takes 22.5 hours each way to send a message because of the speed of light.

Voyager 1 has bounced back from many previous issues, however. In May last year, the spacecraft had a problem with its altitude control system, which was eventually fixed in September, and earlier this year, NASA temporarily lost contact with the other probe, Voyager 2. The spacecraft are not only nearly 50 years old, but they are also in a high-radiation environment that can be damaging to electronics over the long term. The spacecraft were originally built for a mission of just five years to study Jupiter and Saturn, but given their longevity, they have helped scientists study far beyond that, such as learning about interstellar space.

Editors’ Recommendations











Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleThe Best Soundbars for Every Budget
Next Article Platinum Games Co-Founder Hideki Kamiya Reveals Why He Left The Studio

Related Articles

News

The High-Flying Escalation of CBP’s Predator Drone Flights Over LA

13 June 2025
News

Trump Wants to Kill California’s Emissions Standards. Here’s What That Means for EVs

13 June 2025
News

The Best Totes for Travel When You’ve Run Out of Room in Your Carry-On

13 June 2025
News

The 13 Best Packing Cubes for Every Kind of Trip

13 June 2025
News

Dyson Has Killed Its Bizarre Zone Air-Purifying Headphones

13 June 2025
News

This Chatbot Tool Pays Users $50 a Month for Their Feedback on AI Models

13 June 2025
Demo
Top Articles

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 202495 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views

5 laptops to buy instead of the M4 MacBook Pro

17 November 202466 Views

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News
News

The Best Totes for Travel When You’ve Run Out of Room in Your Carry-On

News Room13 June 2025
Phones

Vivo X200 FE Specifications Leaked, May Feature MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ Chipset

News Room13 June 2025
News

The 13 Best Packing Cubes for Every Kind of Trip

News Room13 June 2025
Most Popular

The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman

13 January 2025124 Views

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 202495 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views
Our Picks

Trump Wants to Kill California’s Emissions Standards. Here’s What That Means for EVs

13 June 2025

Vivo Y400 Pro 5G Will Soon Make Its Way to the Indian Market, Rear Design Teased

13 June 2025

The Best Totes for Travel When You’ve Run Out of Room in Your Carry-On

13 June 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 Best in Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.