Voyager 1 and 2 are nearing the end of their mission. Voyager 1 and its twin have travelled further than any other man-made space vehicle since their launch in 1977, after almost 44 years NASA now says they will soon run out of power. For a long time, news has reported on attempted Voyager cuts and reductions, including in 2005 and again in 2021. But, according to this week’s Scientific American report, it’s goodbye for good this time.
The vehicles are expected to run out of power by 2025, and NASA has been removing features to extend their lives until then.
It will be fascinating to see how Earth’s Voyager fans memorialise their missions. Remember how people lamented the loss of the Mars Opportunity Rover? Voyager’s science is as relevant as ever, so there’s no reason to believe it won’t be just as missed. In fact, a team of researchers published findings from Voyager data in The Astrophysics Journal yesterday. The twin Voyagers deserve a heartfelt send-off, but even if they don’t, they’ll leave behind decades of scientific data about the universe.
