Scientists lost contact with the interstellar Voyager 1 probe from Oct. 19 to Oct. 24, after a technical malfunction forced the spacecraft's main radio transmitter to shut down, NASA officials wrote in a blog post. Engineers have since established contact with Voyager 1's weaker backup transmitter, which hasn't been used since 1981, while they assess the situation.
"The transmitter shut-off seems to have been prompted by the spacecraft's fault protection system, which autonomously responds to onboard issues," NASA officials wrote in the blog post. "For example, if the spacecraft overdraws its power supply, fault protection will conserve power by turning off systems that aren't essential for keeping the spacecraft flying," including the craft's main radio transmitter, the team added.
