NASA is working on a solution to a problem with one of the three computers on board the interstellar spacecraft Voyager 1, the so-called flight data system (FDS).
Launched in 1977, the spacecraft receives and carries out commands sent from Earth; However, the FDS does not communicate properly with one of the probe’s subsystems, the so-called telecommunications unit (TMU). “As a result, no scientific or technical data is sent to Earth”.
The FDS is designed, among other things, to collect data from scientific instruments and technical data about the health and status of the spacecraft. It then combines that information into a single “packet” of data that the TMU sends back to Earth. The data is in the form of ones and zeros, or binary code. The variable combinations of two numbers form the basis of all computer language, details Europe Press.
Recently the TMU started emitting a repeating pattern of ones and zeros as if it was ‘stuck’. After ruling out other possibilities, the Voyager team determined that the source of the problem is the FDS. Over the weekend, the team attempted to restart the FDS and return it to the state it was in before the problem started, but the spacecraft is still not returning any usable datareports NASA.
It may take several weeks for engineers to develop a new plan to resolve the problem. Launched in 1977, the spacecraft and its twin, Voyager 2, are the two longest-operating spacecraft in history. Finding solutions to the challenges that probes face often involves consulting decades-old original documents written by engineers who did not foresee the problems that arise today.. As a result, it takes time for the team to understand how a new command will impact spacecraft operations to avoid unintended consequences, the space agency explains.
In addition, it takes 22.5 hours for orders from mission controllers on Earth to reach Voyager 1, which explores the outer reaches of our solar system, more than 15 billion miles from Earth. That means the engineering team will have to wait 45 hours for a response from Voyager 1 to determine whether a command had the desired result. (JO)
Source: Eluniverso
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