By: Andy Dong

An interstellar command was needed to readjust Voyager 2. NASA reported on Friday that it has reconnected all communications with Voyager 2 and will continue to receive data.

“After two weeks of not hearing anything, we’re back to getting unique data from the interstellar medium,” said Linda Spilker, who is the lead mission scientist for Voyager 2.

NASA temporarily lost contact with the spacecraft on July 21 after a command was accidentally sent out and pushed the antenna two degrees away from Earth. On Tuesday, officials from the Deep Space Network, which is an international system that NASA uses, reported a signal coming from Voyager 2. It confirmed that the spacecraft was still operating.

Only being able to detect a faint signal “was upsetting and worrisome,” said Suzanne Dodd, the project manager for Voyager 2. The crew decided to formulate a plan to readjust the antenna by using a radio dish in Australia.

It was unlikely that the plan would work, and it took 37 total hours to get the results since the Voyager spacecraft was very far away in space. Ms. Dodd said the waiting period “was pretty nerve-wracking. You don’t sleep well.”

Fortunately, the plan worked and the team started to receive data again. It was also confirmed that the craft was still on its set path. Mission Control was filled with joy, happiness, and relief.

The Voyager 2 spacecraft was critical and first launched on Aug. 20, 1977. The 46-year-old probe was sent to explore other planets and deep space. If the crews’ plan had failed, they would have had to wait until October, when it automatically resets its antenna. good

“We did an assessment and the spacecraft looks very healthy, very normal,” Ms. Dodd said. The mission team will continue to run tests to fully understand the status of the spacecraft before resuming regular activity.

NASA is looking forward to celebrating the Voyager spacecraft’s launch anniversary, especially Ms. Dodd. “Both of these spacecraft are truly remarkable in their longevity,” she said, referring to Voyager 2 and Voyager 1. “They’re like the spacecraft with nine lives.”