Engineers working to resolve issue with Voyager 1 computer

Engineers are working to resolve a difficulty with certainly one of Voyager 1’s three onboard computer systems, known as the flight information system (FDS). The spacecraft is receiving and executing instructions despatched from Earth; nevertheless, the FDS will not be speaking correctly with one of many probe’s subsystems, known as the telecommunications unit (TMU). In consequence, no science or engineering information is being despatched again to Earth.

Amongst different issues, the FDS is designed to gather information from the science instruments in addition to engineering information concerning the well being and standing of the spacecraft. It then combines that info right into a single information “package deal” to be despatched again to Earth by the TMU. The information is within the type of ones and zeros, or binary code. Various combos of the 2 numbers are the premise of all pc language.

Lately, the TMU started transmitting a repeating pattern of ones and zeros as if it have been “caught.” After ruling out different prospects, the Voyager staff decided that the supply of the problem is the FDS. This previous weekend the staff tried to restart the FDS and return it to the state it was in earlier than the problem started, however the spacecraft nonetheless is not returning useable information.

It might take a number of weeks for engineers to develop a brand new plan to treatment the problem. Launched in 1977, the spacecraft and its twin, Voyager 2, are the 2 longest-operating spacecraft in historical past. Discovering options to challenges the probes encounter typically entails consulting authentic, decades-old paperwork written by engineers who did not anticipate the problems which might be arising at present. In consequence, it takes time for the staff to know how a brand new command will have an effect on the spacecraft’s operations as a way to keep away from unintended penalties.

As well as, instructions from mission controllers on Earth take 22.5 hours to succeed in Voyager 1, which is exploring the outer areas of our solar system greater than 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth. Which means the engineering staff has to attend 45 hours to get a response from Voyager 1 and decide whether or not a command had the meant final result.