NASA has successfully regained contact with the Voyager 2 probe, which was lost a few days earlier than expected due to a wrong command sent in July that changed its position and disrupted communication. Thanks to an “interstellar shout,” the probe’s antenna was repositioned back facing Earth, allowing a signal to be picked up on Tuesday.
Initially, NASA had hoped that the Voyager 2 probe would reset itself in October, but the mission controllers had to wait 37 hours to confirm if their interstellar command had worked since the probe was billions of miles away from Earth. The team used the “highest-power transmitter” to send signals at the best conditions to align the antenna as intended.
Despite losing communication temporarily, NASA confirmed that the spacecraft was operating normally and receiving data after contact was reestablished. The space agency is confident that the probe, equipped with science instruments, will continue on its planned trajectory in space.
Efforts to detect stray signals from Voyager 2 were made by NASA’s huge dish in Canberra, Australia, resulting in hearing the first faint “heartbeat” signal. The probe is programmed to reset its position multiple times a year to ensure its antenna points toward Earth. The next reset is scheduled for October 15.
Voyager 2 and its twin Voyager 1 are the only spacecraft operating outside the heliosphere, the protective bubble of magnetic fields and particles generated by the Sun. Both probes entered interstellar space in 2018 and 2012, respectively. They were designed to take advantage of a rare alignment of outer planets that occurs every 176 years to explore Jupiter and Saturn.
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