After accidental loss of contact, NASA regains signal from Voyager 2 spacecraft.

★Flight controllers accidentally sent a wrong command nearly two weeks ago that tilted the spacecraft’s antenna away from Earth and severed contact.
★NASA’s Deep Space Network giant radio antennas across the globe, picked up a “heartbeat signal,” meaning the 46-year-old craft is alive and operating.
★Flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will now try to turn Voyager 2’s antenna back toward Earth.
★If the command doesn’t work, they’ll have to wait until October for an automatic spacecraft reset.
★Voyager 1, the twin of Voyager 2, is now 15 billion miles from Earth, making it the most distant spacecraft.
★Voyager 2 trails its twin in interstellar space at more than 12 billion miles from Earth. At that distance, it takes more than 18 hours for a signal to travel one way.

The news of Voyager 2’s signal being detected has brought relief to NASA. The spacecraft’s antenna was accidentally tilted away from Earth due to a wrong command sent by flight controllers nearly two weeks ago. However, NASA’s Deep Space Network, which consists of giant radio antennas across the globe, recently picked up a “heartbeat signal” from Voyager 2, indicating that the spacecraft is alive and operating.

Following this development, flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will now attempt to turn Voyager 2’s antenna back toward Earth. However, there are doubts regarding the success of this command. In case it doesn’t work, the spacecraft will need to undergo an automatic reset in October. The antenna is currently only 2% off-kilter.

Voyager 2 was launched into space in 1977 alongside its identical twin, Voyager 1, with the mission of exploring the outer planets. While Voyager 1 is currently the most distant spacecraft, located 15 billion miles away from Earth, Voyager 2 is not far behind, trailing its twin in interstellar space at over 12 billion miles away. Due to this vast distance, it takes more than 18 hours for a signal to travel one way between Voyager 2 and Earth.

The successful detection of Voyager 2’s signal is a significant achievement for NASA and demonstrates the resilience and longevity of the spacecraft. The agency will continue its efforts to establish proper communication with Voyager 2 and ensure its continued operation in the depths of interstellar space.