Search for Voyager 2 after Nasa accidentally sends wrong command

[backstreetboy]

Musk can probably send one up for 1 bar and some change.

 

[Temujin]

Can't believe they can't factor in a safety net for exactly this. Some system that would have the antenna re-align automatically... I guess the 18 hours for transmissions to reach earth would be a barrier.

Auto resets in october, should re-align

Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation multiple times each year to keep its antenna pointing at Earth; the next reset will occur on Oct. 15, which should enable communication to resume.

NASA Mission Update: Voyager 2 Communications Pause

Once the spacecraft’s antenna is realigned with Earth, communications should resume.

www.jpl.nasa.gov

 

[porchrat]

I was about to say why don't they just launch another one and I see 2 costs nearly a billion USD.

I mean apparently it "resets" in October so it's probably not lost for good, but yea it's expensive man. Also it took 50+ years to get as far out as it currently is. It's not such an easy thing to replicate.

 

[dlk001]

They need to send Ripley to find Yoyager 2

I hope it will be a good ending.

 

[borro]

 

[DapperDanMan]

I hope it will be a good ending.

Yes indeed, unlike Prometheus.

 

[DapperDanMan]

Can't believe they can't factor in a safety net for exactly this.

Update: Luckily, Bill Gates did!

Ctrl + Z

 

[garyc]

They have had to rely on the automatic realignment before, where everything ended up working out.

The documentary posted in #4 shows the difficulties with operating the spacecraft. With the available power constantly decreasing they need to turn some things off if they need to carry out an additional operation.

 

[SeRpEnT]

Watched the documentary on the Voyagers recently. The same people that helped launch it are still active. Most started as young professionals and some are now beyond retirement age and still working until it ceases communication.

It's Quieter in the Twilight (2022) ⭐ 7.2 | Documentary

1h 23m

www.imdb.com

OOh. Thanks. Must watch.

Been following news about the Voyagers even since I've been a boy.
Absolutely loved the previous documentary about them:

The Farthest (2017) ⭐ 8.1 | Documentary, History

2h 1m | PG

www.imdb.com

 

[TedLasso]

Nasa detects signal from Voyager 2 after losing contact due to wrong command

‘Heartbeat’ signal from probe, now 12bn miles away, picked up after flight control mistakenly pointed its antenna away from Earth

www.theguardian.com

Signal detected

 

[Gordon_R]

Contact fully restored, minor drama averted:

Voyager 2: Nasa fully back in contact with lost space probe

Voyager 2 has restored its communication with Earth months earlier than expected.

www.bbc.com

 

[SolidState]

Musk can probably send one up for 1 bar and some change.

Naa, he'll buy the current one, fire most of the current employees, rename it to something stupid like x2, and let it just drift off into oblivion.....

 

[TedLasso]

And normal service has resumed

Voyager 2 phones home and says everything is cool

After sending the command, NASA had to wait 37 hours for a response.

arstechnica.com

 

[Gordon_R]

Interesting article about a number of still active vintage space programs, and the ageing hardware both on-board and on the ground:

The ancient technology keeping space missions alive

Some of the most famous space missions have been running for decades. The technology helping to keep them aloft is anything but space age.

www.bbc.com