What is Voyager 1?
Voyager 1 is a spacecraft launched by NASA in 1977. It is the first spaceship to leave our solar system and enter interstellar space. The spacecraft was launched a few weeks after another spacecraft under the same mission named Voyager 2.
No other spaceship has gone as far as Voyager 1. First, it explored Jupiter and Saturn. In 2012, it entered interstellar space. It's still collecting data. Voyagers 1 and 2 have been flying for a very long time.
These spaceships help scientists learn about space. Voyager 1 has helped make many discoveries. Now, it's really far from Earth. Lately, it's been having some problems.
What problem is Voyager 1 facing?
Voyager 1 has a little problem with one of its three computers, the flight data system (FDS). The FDS collects important information from the spaceship's equipment and sends it back to Earth.
Right now, it's not sending any information to the mission team on Earth because of the problem. The team is trying hard to fix it, but it might take a few weeks to make everything work again.
What do we know about NASA’s Voyager mission?
The main goal of the Voyager mission was to study Jupiter and Saturn. The mission was extended after a series of discoveries on these two planets. Voyager 2 explored Uranus and Neptune, the only spacecraft to do so.
Now, Voyagers 1 and 2 aim to explore the far edges of the solar system and more. They're checking out places we've never seen before. In 2018, Voyager 2 also reached interstellar space. These spacecraft send data back to Earth, helping scientists learn more about space.
Let's hope engineers can quickly fix Voyager 1 so it can keep teaching us more about space.
