{"id":552578,"date":"2023-10-20T11:21:51","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=552578"},"modified":"2023-10-23T17:09:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T21:09:55","slug":"nasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/nasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Voyager Team Focuses on Software Patch, Thrusters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?w=1600\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s Voyager 1 spacecraft is depicted in this artist\u2019s concept traveling through interstellar space, or the space between stars, which it entered in 2012. Traveling on a different trajectory, its twin, Voyager 2, entered interstellar space in 2018.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The efforts should help extend the lifetimes of the agency\u2019s interstellar explorers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engineers for <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA\u2019s Voyager mission<\/a> are taking steps to help make sure both spacecraft, launched in 1977, continue to explore interstellar space for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One effort addresses fuel residue that seems to be accumulating inside narrow tubes in some of the thrusters on the spacecraft. The thrusters are used to keep each spacecraft\u2019s antenna pointed at Earth. This type of buildup has been observed in a handful of other spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team is also uploading a software patch to prevent the recurrence of a glitch that arose on Voyager 1 last year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/engineers-solve-data-glitch-on-nasas-voyager-1\" rel=\"noopener\">Engineers resolved the glitch<\/a>, and the patch is intended to prevent the issue from occurring again in Voyager 1 or arising in its twin, Voyager 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Thruster Buildup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/details.php?article_id=108\" rel=\"noopener\">thrusters on Voyager 1<\/a> and Voyager 2 are primarily used to keep the spacecraft antennas pointed at Earth in order to communicate. Spacecraft can rotate in three directions \u2013 up and down, to the left and right, and around the central axis, like a wheel. As they do this, the thrusters automatically fire and reorient the spacecraft to keep their antennas pointed at Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Propellant flows to the thrusters via fuel lines and then passes through smaller lines inside the thrusters called propellant inlet tubes that are 25 times narrower than the external fuel lines. Each thruster firing adds tiny amounts of propellant residue, leading to gradual buildup of material over decades. In some of the propellant inlet tubes, the buildup is becoming significant. To slow that buildup, the mission has begun letting the two spacecraft rotate slightly farther in each direction before firing the thrusters. This will reduce the frequency of thruster firings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The adjustments to the thruster rotation range were made by commands sent in September and October, and they allow the spacecraft to move almost 1 degree farther in each direction than in the past. The mission is also performing fewer, longer firings, which will further reduce the total number of firings done on each spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The adjustments have been carefully devised to ensure minimal impact on the mission. While more rotating by the spacecraft could mean bits of science data are occasionally lost \u2013 akin to being on a phone call where the person on the other end cuts out occasionally \u2013 the team concluded the plan will enable the Voyagers to return more data over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engineers can\u2019t know for sure when the thruster propellant inlet tubes will become completely clogged, but they expect that with these precautions, that won\u2019t happen for at least five more years, possibly much longer. The team can take additional steps in the coming years to extend the lifetime of the thrusters even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis far into the mission, the engineering team is being faced with a lot of challenges for which we just don\u2019t have a playbook,\u201d said Linda Spilker, project scientist for the mission as NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. \u201cBut they continue to come up with creative solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Patching Things Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, the onboard computer that orients the Voyager 1 spacecraft with Earth began to send back garbled status reports, despite otherwise continuing to operate normally. It took mission engineers months to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/engineers-solve-data-glitch-on-nasas-voyager-1\" rel=\"noopener\">pinpoint the issue<\/a>. The attitude articulation and control system (AACS) was misdirecting commands, writing them into the computer memory instead of carrying them out. One of those missed commands wound up garbling the AACS status report before it could reach engineers on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team determined the AACS had entered into an incorrect mode; however, they couldn\u2019t determine the cause and thus aren\u2019t sure if the issue could arise again. The software patch should prevent that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis patch is like an insurance policy that will protect us in the future and help us keep these probes going as long as possible,\u201d said JPL\u2019s Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager. \u201cThese are the only spacecraft to ever operate in interstellar space, so the data they\u2019re sending back is uniquely valuable to our understanding of our local universe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/mission\/timeline\/#event-a-once-in-a-lifetime-alignment\" rel=\"noopener\">have traveled<\/a> more than 15 billion and 12 billion miles from Earth, respectively. At those distances, the patch instructions will take over 18 hours to travel to the spacecraft. Because of the spacecraft\u2019s age and the communication lag time, there\u2019s some risk the patch could overwrite essential code or have other unintended effects on the spacecraft. To reduce those risks, the team has spent months writing, reviewing, and checking the code. As an added safety precaution, Voyager 2 will receive the patch first and serve as a testbed for its twin. Voyager 1 is farther from Earth than any other spacecraft, making its data more valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team will upload the patch and do a readout of the AACS memory to make sure it\u2019s in the right place on Friday, Oct. 20. If no immediate issues arise, the team will issue a command on Saturday, Oct. 28, to see if the patch is operating as it should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More About the Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Voyager mission was originally scheduled to last only four years, sending both probes past Saturn and Jupiter. NASA extended the mission so that Voyager 2 could visit Uranus and Neptune; it is still the only spacecraft ever to have encountered the ice giants. In 1990, NASA extended the mission again, this time with the goal of sending the probes outside the heliosphere, a protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun. Voyager 1 reached the boundary in 2012, while Voyager 2 (traveling slower and in a different direction than its twin) reached it in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL built and operates the Voyager spacecraft. The Voyager missions are a part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about the Voyager spacecraft, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/voyager\"><strong>https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/voyager<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>News Media Contact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Calla Cofield<br>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br>626-808-2469<br><a href=\"mailto:calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-148<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?via=NASA&text=NASA%E2%80%99s%20Voyager%20Team%20Focuses%20on%20Software%20Patch%2C%20Thrusters&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fmissions%2Fvoyager-program%2Fnasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on X.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"1200\" height=\"1227\" viewBox=\"0 0 1200 1227\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M714.163 519.284L1160.89 0H1055.03L667.137 450.887L357.328 0H0L468.492 681.821L0 1226.37H105.866L515.491 750.218L842.672 1226.37H1200L714.137 519.284H714.163ZM569.165 687.828L521.697 619.934L144.011 79.6944H306.615L611.412 515.685L658.88 583.579L1055.08 1150.3H892.476L569.165 687.854V687.828Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fmissions%2Fvoyager-program%2Fnasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Oct 23, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\"><div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2\"><h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2><\/div><ul class=\"article-tags\"><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/\">Voyager Program<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/jpl\/\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/\" rel=\"noopener\">The Solar System<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/voyager-1\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 1<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/voyager-2\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/skywatching\/night-sky-network\/tropical-solstice-shadows\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/solstice-comparison-horz-notext.webp\" ><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">4 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Tropical Solstice Shadows<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">Solstices were some of our earliest astronomical observations, celebrated throughout history via many summer and…<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/goddard\/nasas-lro-spots-chinas-change-6-spacecraft-on-lunar-far-side\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png 1300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=400,400 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=600,600 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=900,900 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ce6-after-notext.png?resize=1200,1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">2 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA\u2019s LRO Spots China\u2019s Chang’e 6 Spacecraft on Lunar Far Side<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/voyager-1\/voyager-1-returning-science-data-from-all-four-instruments\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/voyager-7-copy-ac.jpg\" ><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">2 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">The spacecraft has resumed gathering information about interstellar space. NASA\u2019s Voyager 1 spacecraft is conducting…<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The efforts should help extend the lifetimes of the agency\u2019s interstellar explorers. Engineers for NASA\u2019s Voyager mission are taking steps to help make sure both spacecraft, launched in 1977, continue to explore interstellar space for years to come. One effort addresses fuel residue that seems to be accumulating inside narrow tubes in some of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":552581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2797,2860,2658,9421,9422],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[8605],"coauthors":[12651],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA\u2019s Voyager Team Focuses on Software Patch, Thrusters","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/nasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/nasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory"}],"creator":["Jet Propulsion Laboratory"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Voyager Program","Voyager 2","Jet Propulsion Laboratory","The Solar System","Voyager 1"],"dateCreated":"2023-10-20T15:21:51Z","datePublished":"2023-10-20T15:21:51Z","dateModified":"2023-10-23T21:09:55Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA\u2019s Voyager Team Focuses on Software Patch, Thrusters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/nasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-10-20T15:21:51Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Voyager Program,Voyager 2,Jet Propulsion Laboratory,The Solar System,Voyager 1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jet Propulsion Laboratory\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":5,"time_ago":"8 months","featured_image":{"id":552581,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-voyager-artists-concept-16.jpg","title":"1-voyager-artists-concept-16","alt":"NASA\u2019s Voyager 1 spacecraft is depicted in this artist\u2019s concept traveling through interstellar space, or the space between stars, which it entered in 2012.","caption":"NASA\u2019s Voyager 1 spacecraft is depicted in this artist\u2019s concept traveling through interstellar space, or the space between stars, which it entered in 2012. Traveling on a different trajectory, its twin, Voyager 2, entered interstellar space in 2018."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552578"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552578"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":553692,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552578\/revisions\/553692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552578"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=552578"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=552578"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=552578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}