NASA’nın Voyager 2’si beklenmedik bir ‘iletişim duraklaması’ yaşıyor.

NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft is currently experiencing an unexpected communication interruption. Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 has been exploring the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond for over four decades. It has provided us with invaluable data about the planets, moons, and other celestial bodies it has encountered along its journey.

The spacecraft, which is currently over 11 billion miles away from Earth, relies on a network of antennas known as the Deep Space Network (DSN) to communicate with mission control. However, on January 28, 2020, Voyager 2 unexpectedly went into a state of “safe mode,” causing a temporary halt in communication.

Safe mode is a precautionary measure that spacecraft enter when they encounter an unexpected problem. It allows the spacecraft to protect itself and its instruments while engineers on Earth investigate the issue. In Voyager 2’s case, the safe mode was triggered by a fault in the spacecraft’s onboard computer, which caused it to reset itself.

The communication interruption has posed a challenge for NASA’s mission control team, as they are unable to send commands or receive data from Voyager 2 during this time. However, they have been working diligently to diagnose the problem and restore communication with the spacecraft.

One of the main difficulties in troubleshooting Voyager 2’s issue is the significant distance between the spacecraft and Earth. Signals from Voyager 2 take approximately 17 hours to reach mission control, making real-time communication impossible. This means that any commands sent to the spacecraft or data received from it have a significant delay.

Despite the challenges, NASA remains optimistic about resolving the communication interruption and getting Voyager 2 back to its normal operations. The mission control team has been analyzing the data received from the spacecraft to determine the cause of the fault and develop a plan to fix it.

Voyager 2 has been a pioneer in space exploration, providing us with groundbreaking discoveries and images of distant worlds. It has visited Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, becoming the only spacecraft to have explored all four of these gas giants. It has also provided us with valuable insights into the heliosphere, the region of space influenced by the Sun’s solar wind.

The spacecraft’s longevity and resilience have exceeded all expectations. Despite being launched over 40 years ago, Voyager 2’s instruments continue to function, and it continues to send valuable data back to Earth. Its mission has been extended multiple times, and it is expected to continue operating until at least 2025.

The communication interruption experienced by Voyager 2 serves as a reminder of the challenges and risks associated with deep space exploration. It highlights the importance of robust and reliable communication systems, as well as the need for contingency plans in case of unexpected events.

As NASA works to restore communication with Voyager 2, scientists and space enthusiasts around the world eagerly await the spacecraft’s return to full operation. Its journey has been nothing short of remarkable, and it has paved the way for future missions to explore the mysteries of our universe.