Back in November the Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped sending readable data. Engineers knew the the craft was receiving commands and otherwise working as usual, but was just sending corrupted data. The fault was traced to a single microchip storing part of the craft's memory including software to code messages being sent back to work. A software patch was designed that would shift the functions to other parts of the craft's control system.
The patch was transmitted on April 18, 2024. Because Voyager 1 is approximately 15 billion miles distant, it takes 22.5 hours for a radio signal to traverse the distance. But on April 20, NASA received confirmation that the patch had worked. Over the next few weeks, additional patches will be sent to the craft allowing it to resume sending scientific data back to Earth.
Sources:
- "Voyager-1 sends readable data again from deep space"--BBC.
- "Voyager-1 back on line after software patch works"--Behind the Black.
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What if the first data back was a cat meme?
ReplyDeleteThat is probably how aliens would first try to establish peaceful contact.
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