Voyager 2'S Mission Extended Thanks to Major 'Big Bang' Update

WHO:

Hackaday - Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

CNN - Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager’s mission manager at JPL.

WHAT:

Live Science - The Big Bang procedure on Voyager 2 has successfully avoided the shutdown of another science instrument, allowing it to operate for at least an extra year.

CNN - The Big Bang fix was implemented on July 9, turning off two dedicated heaters and a digital tape recorder while switching on two different heaters and another device that draws less power.

CNN - The team conducted tests in May and June to ensure the Big Bang fix would not draw more power than expected or lower temperatures beyond acceptable limits.

CNN - Voyager 1 is nearly 171 astronomical units (AU) from Earth, while Voyager 2 is about 143 AU away.

CNN - In November, Voyager 1 will reach a milestone "light day" from Earth, taking 24 hours for a radio signal to travel one way to the spacecraft.

Live Science - The "Big Bang" procedure on Voyager 2 has successfully avoided the shutdown of another science instrument, allowing it to operate for at least an extra year.

Live Science - Voyager 1 is nearly 171 astronomical units (AU) from Earth, while Voyager 2 is about 143 AU away.

Live Science - In November, Voyager 1 will reach a milestone "light day" from Earth, taking 24 hours for a radio signal to travel one way to the spacecraft.

Live Science - Both Voyager probes will turn 50 years old in 2027, assuming they continue to function.

Hackaday - The Big Bang fix has allowed Voyager 2 to operate its three remaining instruments for an extra year.

CNN - The team hopes to perform a similar power conservation switch on Voyager 1 soon, which could extend its mission as well.

CNN - The Low-energy Charged Particles experiment on Voyager 1, which was shut down in April, may be restarted if power conservation efforts are successful.

Hackaday - Voyager 2's mission has been extended by one year due to a 'Big Bang' switch involving two heaters and another device.

CNN - Voyager 2 is currently approximately 21.35 billion kilometers (13 billion miles) away from Earth.

CNN - Voyager 1 is about 25.40 billion kilometers (16 billion miles) away from Earth.

CNN - The Voyager probes run on radioisotope thermoelectric generators, losing an estimated 4 watts of power per year.

CNN - The Big Bang fix was implemented on July 9, turning off two dedicated heaters and a digital tape recorder while switching on two different heaters and another device that draws less power.

WHERE:

CNN - NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is located in Pasadena, California.

WHEN:

CNN - The Big Bang fix was implemented on July 9.

CNN - A successful power test on Voyager 1 was conducted at the end of July.

CNN - A thermal test for Voyager 1 is scheduled for the end of August.

WHY:

CNN - The fix was necessary to avoid powering down another science instrument on Voyager 2 and to maintain its ability to capture scientific data.

CNN - Engineers aimed to conserve power as the spacecraft's power supply has dwindled over time.

HOW:

CNN - Engineers sent commands to Voyager 2 to turn off some powered devices while switching on others that draw less power, ensuring the spacecraft remains warm enough to function.

Hackaday - The "Big Bang" switch on Voyager 2 involved turning off high-power instruments while switching on lower-power alternatives to maintain warmth and functionality.

CNN - The successful power test on Voyager 1 was conducted at the end of July, and a thermal test is scheduled for the end of August, subject to data analysis.

CNN - Engineers sent commands to Voyager 2 to turn off some powered devices while switching on others that draw less power, ensuring the spacecraft remains warm enough to function.

CNN - The team conducted tests in May and June to ensure the Big Bang fix would not draw more power than expected or lower temperatures beyond acceptable limits.

CNN - It takes nearly 20 hours for a command to reach Voyager 2, and the same amount of time to receive a response.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 23:28 UTC)

The Big Bang procedure on Voyager 2 has successfully prevented the shutdown of another science instrument, allowing it to continue operating for at least an extra year. This fix, implemented on July 9, involved turning off two dedicated heaters and a digital tape recorder while activating other devices that consume less power, all to ensure the spacecraft remains warm enough for its scientific missions. In November, Voyager 1 will reach a significant milestone, becoming a "light day" away from Earth, meaning it will take 24 hours for a radio signal to travel one way to the spacecraft.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 20:38 UTC)

The "Big Bang" procedure on Voyager 2 has successfully prevented the shutdown of another science instrument, allowing it to continue operating for at least an extra year. Currently, Voyager 1 is nearly 171 astronomical units from Earth, while Voyager 2 is about 143 AU away, and in November, Voyager 1 will reach a significant milestone where it takes 24 hours for a radio signal to travel one way to the spacecraft. Both Voyager probes are set to celebrate their 50th anniversaries in 2027, provided they remain functional.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 19:52 UTC)

Voyager 2 has successfully extended its mission for an extra year thanks to the Big Bang fix, which has allowed it to operate its three remaining instruments. The team is now looking to implement a similar power conservation switch on Voyager 1, with hopes of restarting the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment that was shut down in April. A successful power test on Voyager 1 was conducted at the end of July, and a thermal test is planned for the end of August, pending data analysis.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 08:55 UTC)

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, have successfully extended Voyager 2's mission by one year thanks to a clever power-saving fix known as the 'Big Bang' switch. This adjustment, implemented on July 9, involved turning off two heaters and a digital tape recorder while activating different heaters and another device that consumes less power, allowing Voyager 2 to continue its scientific work approximately 21.35 billion kilometers away from Earth. As the Voyager probes gradually lose power, the team is also preparing for a thermal test on Voyager 1 scheduled for the end of August to ensure both spacecraft can keep functioning effectively.