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NASA Powers Down Voyager Probes to Conserve Energy

3/8/2025

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Summary

Story summary

NASA is making the tough decision to power down instruments on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 to preserve energy as they journey through the vastness of interstellar space. Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem was switched off on February 25, while Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument will follow suit on March 24. Despite their aging power supplies, these pioneering spacecraft, launched in 1977, still deliver invaluable scientific insights.

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Story summary

NASA is making the tough decision to power down instruments on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 to preserve energy as they journey through the vastness of interstellar space. Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem was switched off on February 25, while Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument will follow suit on March 24. Despite their aging power supplies, these pioneering spacecraft, launched in 1977, still deliver invaluable scientific insights.