NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has successfully executed a power conservation initiative on Voyager 2, one of two decades-old spacecraft exploring the outer reaches of the solar system. The effort, termed the “Big Bang” by the engineering team, involved simultaneously disabling certain powered systems and replacing them with lower-energy alternatives while maintaining adequate thermal conditions for spacecraft functionality.
Both Voyager spacecraft depend on radioisotope thermoelectric generators that convert heat from decaying plutonium into electrical power. The plutonium supply gradually diminishes over time, resulting in the loss of approximately 4 watts of available power annually on each spacecraft. After operating for nearly 50 years in space, both Voyagers face increasingly constrained power budgets that have necessitated regular shutdown of non-critical systems.
Starting in 2024, controllers began deactivating science instruments on both spacecraft due to dwindling power reserves. Each Voyager carries 10 scientific instruments total, though several had previously been switched off following their usefulness during planetary encounter phases of the mission. The power management situation had reached a point where another instrument shutdown would have been required aboard Voyager 2 before the conclusion of 2026.
The power-saving modifications are projected to enable the three remaining science instruments on Voyager 2 to continue functioning for at least one additional year beyond what would have otherwise been possible. NASA intends to implement identical power conservation procedures on Voyager 1, which currently maintains a greater distance from Earth than its sister spacecraft. Mission managers anticipate completing the modifications to Voyager 1 within the coming months.
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