Fixing the Voyager-1 Probe

Voyager 1: Phoning Home After a Glitch! Is there intelligent life out there? Our farthest flung spacecraft is talking again after a cryptic silence. Did it encounter something interstellar? What secrets is it ready to reveal? Learn more about humanity's messenger to the stars!​

Voyager 1 Talks Again: Iconic Spacecraft Resumes Sending Data After Months of SilenceThere's good news from interstellar space! NASA's Voyager 1 probe, the farthest human-made object from Earth, is once again sending back readable data after a five-month silence. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space in 2012 and is currently a staggering 24 billion kilometres away.
A Glitch in the Machine:
In November 2023, mission controllers noticed a problem. While they could still send commands to Voyager 1, the spacecraft stopped returning any usable data. It was like talking to a friend who only responds with nonsensical gibberish. The culprit turned out to be a single malfunctioning chip in the probe's 46-year-old computer system.
A Memory Fix and a Data Deluge:
The clever minds at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory weren't about to give up on their intrepid explorer. They devised a unique solution – a software patch designed to work within the limited memory constraints of Voyager 1's ageing computer. This patch essentially rerouted data from the faulty memory section, allowing communication to resume.
Back in Business, But Data Lost:
On a recent Saturday morning, mission control received a wave of relief – Voyager 1 finally sent back a clear signal!  This initial data confirmed the health and safety of the spacecraft. The next step, according to Dr. Linda Spilker, project leader, is to develop a new patch specifically for retrieving science data. This will allow scientists to once again unlock the secrets of interstellar space, information that's been missing since November. Unfortunately, there's no way to recover the science data lost during the communication blackout.
Australia: A Vital Partner in Deep Space Communication:
It's worth noting that Australia played a crucial role in both Voyager missions.  The Parkes radio telescope tracked Voyager 2 as it exited the solar system in 2018, and in 2023, Canberra's Deep Space Communication Complex played a starring role when communication with Voyager 2 was lost. Their team successfully sent a command that shifted the spacecraft's antenna, restoring the connection.
Voyager: Envoys to the Stars:
Both Voyager 1 and 2 carry a special message for any potential extraterrestrial lifeforms – a Golden Record. These 12-inch gold-plated copper discs contain a wealth of information about Earth, including a map of our solar system, a "radioactive clock" using uranium, and even instructions on how to play the record using the included stylus. The record features a vast array of sounds and music representing the diversity of life on our planet, all curated by a committee led by the renowned astronomer Carl Sagan.
A Bright Future (For Now):
While Voyager 1 and 2's power sources were expected to run dry sometime after 2025, mission specialists are optimistic.  By powering down certain systems, they believe both spacecraft could continue functioning well into the 2030s. After that, they'll silently wander the Milky Way, our ambassadors to the cosmos, carrying their message of humanity for millennia to come.

​​https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-1/