OUR DRIVE-NASA disabled one of the science instruments on the Voyager 1 spacecraft to conserve dwindling power reserves.
This step was taken to ensure that the most distant man-made object can remain operational in interstellar space for as long as possible.
On April 17, 2026, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sent an order to shut down the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) experiment.
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This instrument has operated almost non-stop for nearly 49 years since Voyager 1 was launched in 1977.
LECP functions to measure low energy charged particles, including ions, electrons and cosmic rays originating from our solar system and galaxy.
This decision was triggered by an unexpected drop in power levels during a routine maneuver in late February.
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This drop almost triggers the automatic fault protection system (undervoltage fault protection) which can randomly shut down components.
Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager Mission Manager at JPL, said in a statement:
“While turning off science instruments is not anyone’s first choice, it is the best option available.”
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Currently, Voyager 1 only has two active science instruments out of a total of ten initial instruments, namely the plasma wave detector and magnetometer.
LECP decommissioning is expected to provide additional time for the aircraft to remain operational for the next year or so.
Located at a distance of more than 25 billion kilometers from Earth, command signals from the control center took about 23 hours to reach Voyager 1.
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Even though its nuclear power is decreasing by about 4 watts every year, NASA continues to maintain this historic mission through a long-term energy savings strategy known as the “Big Bang” project.
This strategy is expected to extend the lifetime of Voyager 1’s communications into the 2030s, providing unique data from the interstellar medium that no other vehicle can provide.***
