Since 2012, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has been collecting scientific data in interstellar space, despite technical issues. The spacecraft, originally launched in 1977 with Voyager 2, has faced multiple problems such as nonsensical transmissions and falling silent occasionally. Yet, in a surprising turn, Voyager 1 recently revived its backup transmitter from 1981 when its main transmitter failed. NASA’s engineers are now working to understand why the spacecraft switched transmitters and what caused the latest issue. Voyager 1, the farthest spacecraft from Earth at over 15 billion miles away, continues to push the boundaries of space exploration with its resilience and innovative design features.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/voyager-1-breaks-its-silence-with-nasa-via-a-radio-transmitter-not-used-since-1981-180985399/