NASA has successfully reestablished contact with the Voyager 2 probe, picking up a “heartbeat” signal after the spacecraft lost communication due to a wrong command sent last month. The Voyager 2, which has been exploring the universe since 1977, tilted its antenna two degrees away from Earth, interrupting data transmission.
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How far is Voyager 2?
Despite being over 12.3 billion miles away from Earth and hurtling through interstellar space at a staggering speed of 34,390mph, Voyager 2’s signal reached NASA, confirming the probe’s “good health.”
While the communication is still limited, NASA’s Deep Space Network and the huge dish in Australia’s Canberra have been tirelessly attempting to detect any signals from the spacecraft. In the meantime, Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation multiple times annually to keep its antenna aligned with Earth. The next reset, scheduled for October 15, is expected to resume communication.
The Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, remain the only spacecraft to operate beyond the heliosphere, reaching interstellar space in 2018 and 2012, respectively. Designed to explore Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 2 is the sole spacecraft to fly by Neptune and Uranus. Its counterpart, Voyager 1, holds the distinction of being humanity’s most distant spacecraft, nearly 15 billion miles away from Earth.
Both spacecraft carry a Golden Record containing Earth’s sounds, images, and messages, intended to communicate our world’s story to potential extra-terrestrial life.
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