Voyager 1 restores communication after 48-hour signal blackout
NASA engineers are investigating why the spacecraft stopped sending signals during two scheduled communication attempts in October.
The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which is currently the most distant human-made object from Earth, experienced a communication blackout lasting nearly 48 hours in October, according to Moneycontrol.
The Deep Space Network (DSN) failed to detect signals from the spacecraft on October 18 and 19 during two scheduled attempts separated by 24 hours. The radio signal returned on October 20, approximately 16 billion miles (24 billion kilometres) from Earth.
NASA engineers found that one group of thrusters had stopped working, which caused the backup thrusters to activate automatically. This fault protection mechanism is designed to stabilise the spacecraft and pause operations when onboard computers detect thruster issues, though NASA has not confirmed if this caused the blackout.
The spacecraft is also managing declining electrical power from its radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which lose about four watts of power every year. In September 2026, engineers performed the 'Big Bang' energy-saving operation by replacing three devices with lower-power alternatives to extend the life of science instruments.
Launched on September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in August 2012. It is expected to reach a distance of 16.09 billion miles (25.89 billion kilometres) from Earth on November 18, 2026, a milestone where radio signals will take 24 hours to travel in either direction.