Trending Now - NASA Powers Down Voyager 1 Instrument to Conserve Energy

WHO:

Gizmodo - Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

WHAT:

Live Science - The shutdown of Voyager 1's Low-Energy Charged Particle (LECP) experiment will provide the spacecraft with approximately one year of additional operational life.

Live Science - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) plans to conduct "Big Bang" tests on Voyager 2 in May and June 2026, with the riskier maneuver for Voyager 1 expected no earlier than July 2026.

Fox News - NASA shut down Voyager 1's Low-energy Charged Particles experiment (LECP) to conserve power.

Gizmodo - Only two out of the ten instruments on Voyager 1 are still operational.

Gizmodo - The LECP has been providing critical data for 49 years.

Gizmodo - The shutdown process of LECP took about three hours and 15 minutes to complete.

Gizmodo - Voyager 1 is currently 15 billion miles (25 billion kilometers) from Earth.

WHERE:

Fox News - Voyager 1 is located in interstellar space.

WHEN:

Gizmodo - The commands to shut off LECP were sent on April 17th, 2026.

Gizmodo - Voyager 1 was launched in 1977.

Gizmodo - The original mission was designed to last five years, but it has lasted nearly 50 years.

WHY:

Gizmodo - The power levels of Voyager 1 dropped unexpectedly during a routine roll maneuver in late February 2026.

Gizmodo - NASA engineers are shutting down unnecessary systems to extend the mission duration as the spacecraft loses about 4 watts of power per year.

HOW:

Live Science - Engineers at JPL decided to keep a small, half-watt motor for the LECP running to potentially allow for its reactivation if power levels improve.

Gizmodo - NASA engineers sent commands to shut down the LECP after assessing the power levels.

Gizmodo - The team agreed on the order of shutdown for the instruments on board Voyager 1.

Gizmodo - The long-term plan, called “the Big Bang,” aims to replace powered devices with lower-power alternatives to extend operations.

(UPDATED April 21, 2026 23:12 UTC)

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has announced that the shutdown of Voyager 1's Low-Energy Charged Particle experiment will extend the spacecraft's operational life by about a year. In addition, JPL plans to conduct "Big Bang" tests on Voyager 2 in May and June, while a riskier maneuver for Voyager 1 is anticipated no earlier than July. Engineers have opted to keep a small, half-watt motor for the LECP running, which could allow for reactivation if power levels improve.

--

(UPDATED April 21, 2026 17:23 UTC)

NASA has officially shut down Voyager 1's Low-energy Charged Particles experiment to conserve power, as only two of the ten instruments on the spacecraft remain operational. The decision, made after a drop in power levels during a routine maneuver in late February, involved a shutdown process that took about three hours and 15 minutes to complete, with commands sent on Friday. Voyager 1, launched in 1977 and now located in interstellar space, has been providing critical data for nearly 50 years, and NASA engineers are implementing a long-term plan to replace powered devices with lower-power alternatives to extend the mission's duration.