NASA engineers have miraculously revived the Voyager 1 interstellar probe's backup thrusters — components that hadn't been used since 2004 and were long considered fully defunct. This remarkable feat became necessary because the spacecraft's primary thrusters, which control its orientation, have been degrading due to residue buildup. If its thrusters fail completely, Voyager 1 could lose its ability to point its antenna toward Earth, therefore cutting off communication with Earth after nearly 50 years of operation.
To make matters more urgent, the team faced a strict deadline while trying to remedy the thruster situation. After May 4, the Earth-based antenna that sends commands to Voyager 1 — and its twin, Voyager 2 — was scheduled to go offline for months of upgrades. This would have made timely intervention impossible.
