Voyager 2 shuts down science experiment as power stores dwindle

NASA has powered down the Plasma Science (PLS) instrument on the Voyager 2 spacecraft to conserve energy as it travels approximately 13 billion miles from Earth.

The command to deactivate the PLS, which observed solar winds, was sent on September 26, and it took 19 hours for the message to reach the spacecraft.

Despite its diminishing power supply, NASA anticipates Voyager 2 will continue operating at least one science instrument into the 2030s.

The 47-year-old probe relies on three radioisotope thermoelectric generators that convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity.

The PLS was crucial for gathering data about solar winds and helped confirm Voyager 2’s exit from the heliosphere in 2018, CNN has reported.

read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/02/science/voyager-2-plasma-nasa-experiment-power/index.html

Links for B.C.

Visit My Website
https://bcbegley.com

Follow Me On Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/B.C.Begley

Subscribe To My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/bcbegley

Watch Me On YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoUf-QQTlTN-BIh3ERCE9A

Follow Me On Twitter
https://twitter.com/BC_News1

Watch Me On Rumble
https://rumble.com/c/c-280191

Follow Me On Gab
https://gab.com/BC_Begley

Follow Me On Truth Social
https://truthsocial.com/@BC_Begley

#NASA #Voyager2