Latest news with #SuzanneDodd
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Voyager hits a 'Wall of Fire': NASA probe finds a furnace at the edge of the solar system
Voyager 1 has detected a shell of superheated plasma far beyond Pluto—offering a direct look at where the Sun's influence ends and interstellar space begins. From nearly 24 billion kilometres away, NASA's ageing Voyager 1 has sent back a signal confirming one of the most extreme discoveries yet: a narrow region near the heliopause where plasma has been heated to an astonishing 30,000 to 50,000 Kelvin. This marks the latest in a string of insights from the 48-year-old spacecraft. The heliopause, which defines the outer edge of the Sun's protective bubble known as the heliosphere, is where solar wind slams into material from interstellar space. It's not a wall in the traditional sense—but data show a sharp, localised zone of extreme discovery began with a spike in temperature data—despite the fact that Voyager 1's original plasma detector had failed years two other instruments still running—one monitoring cosmic ray hits, the other measuring the local magnetic field—spotted the clues. Solar wind ions dropped sharply. Meanwhile, cosmic ray counts surged and the magnetic field began to bend. That's when scientists realised what they were seeing. Researchers processed the data and saw evidence of a hot plasma shell, possibly just 1 astronomical unit thick. Hours later, Voyager 2—following its own path—picked up the same pattern, confirming the phenomenon wasn't a fluke.'It's a narrow, searing frontier,' said NASA Heliophysics scientists. And the spacecraft sailed right through no flame out there. No oxygen to feed one. But the searing temperature comes from the collision of the supersonic solar wind crashes into the slower-moving interstellar medium, magnetic turbulence and compression force particles into a higher energy state. That's where the heat comes from—particles zipping around at extreme speeds in a vacuum barely dense enough to warm short: it's a cosmic blast furnace, but with so little matter that Voyager's hull doesn't heat up.'She's been driving for five decades and just found the hottest rest stop in the universe,' quipped Suzanne Dodd, Voyager's flight director, after the data appeared on her Pasadena of the biggest surprises wasn't the heat—but the alignment of magnetic expected the magnetic field outside the heliopause to change direction entirely. But both Voyager probes have found that the magnetic field beyond the boundary runs almost parallel to the one within the heliosphere. NASA explained: 'An observation by Voyager 2's magnetic field instrument confirms a surprising result from Voyager 1: The magnetic field in the region just beyond the heliopause is parallel to the magnetic field inside the heliosphere.' That's upended existing models of the Sun's protective bubble. It suggests the heliosphere may be more closely connected to the galaxy's magnetic environment than previously assumed—and that our cosmic shielding from high-energy radiation might work in ways still not fully has important implications for protecting Earth and for long-duration human engineers remain in awe that Voyager 1 still data trickles in at just 160 bits per second. It takes 22 hours for a single message to arrive back at Earth's Deep Space Network.'That silence after you send a command is the longest coffee break imaginable,' said Todd Barber, Voyager systems ageing plutonium battery can now only support a few instruments. But NASA has juggled power usage carefully to keep the most valuable sensors running. Even at 48 years old, the probe continues to report back from the is already planning the next step. In 2026, the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) will launch to observe the heliopause from within. It aims to capture the same plasma flows that Voyager just measured, but with modern instruments and clearer further ahead is a proposed Interstellar Probe mission, designed to reach 400 AU in 50 years. Its goal? Map this fiery region—this 'invisible wall of fire'—in unprecedented of this future planning leans on Voyager's current 1 crossed into interstellar space on 25 August 2012. Its twin, Voyager 2, followed in 2018. But even now, these machines keep pushing the boundaries of what humanity knows about the edge of its own solar findings aren't just scientific curiosities. They help shape real-world plans to shield astronauts from cosmic radiation and inform how Earth's magnetic defences another dozen years, the last of Voyager 1's instruments may fall silent. But its final contribution—a message from the solar system's burning edge—might be its most now, it's still out there. Floating. Listening. Sending home the secrets of the stars.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Voyager hits a 'Wall of Fire': NASA probe finds a furnace at the edge of the solar system
Voyager 1 has detected a shell of superheated plasma far beyond Pluto—offering a direct look at where the Sun's influence ends and interstellar space begins. From nearly 24 billion kilometres away, NASA 's ageing Voyager 1 has sent back a signal confirming one of the most extreme discoveries yet: a narrow region near the heliopause where plasma has been heated to an astonishing 30,000 to 50,000 Kelvin. This marks the latest in a string of insights from the 48-year-old spacecraft. The heliopause, which defines the outer edge of the Sun's protective bubble known as the heliosphere, is where solar wind slams into material from interstellar space. It's not a wall in the traditional sense—but data show a sharp, localised zone of extreme temperatures. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Private Jet - The Prices May Surprise You! Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo An unexpected blaze in the cosmic borderlands The discovery began with a spike in temperature data—despite the fact that Voyager 1's original plasma detector had failed years ago. Instead, two other instruments still running—one monitoring cosmic ray hits, the other measuring the local magnetic field—spotted the clues. Solar wind ions dropped sharply. Meanwhile, cosmic ray counts surged and the magnetic field began to bend. That's when scientists realised what they were seeing. Live Events Researchers processed the data and saw evidence of a hot plasma shell, possibly just 1 astronomical unit thick. Hours later, Voyager 2—following its own path—picked up the same pattern, confirming the phenomenon wasn't a fluke. 'It's a narrow, searing frontier,' said NASA Heliophysics scientists. And the spacecraft sailed right through it. What fuels a fire where nothing burns? There's no flame out there. No oxygen to feed one. But the searing temperature comes from the collision of forces. As the supersonic solar wind crashes into the slower-moving interstellar medium, magnetic turbulence and compression force particles into a higher energy state. That's where the heat comes from—particles zipping around at extreme speeds in a vacuum barely dense enough to warm aluminium. In short: it's a cosmic blast furnace, but with so little matter that Voyager's hull doesn't heat up. 'She's been driving for five decades and just found the hottest rest stop in the universe,' quipped Suzanne Dodd, Voyager's flight director, after the data appeared on her Pasadena monitor. A magnetic surprise beyond the Sun's reach One of the biggest surprises wasn't the heat—but the alignment of magnetic fields . Scientists expected the magnetic field outside the heliopause to change direction entirely. But both Voyager probes have found that the magnetic field beyond the boundary runs almost parallel to the one within the heliosphere. NASA explained: 'An observation by Voyager 2 's magnetic field instrument confirms a surprising result from Voyager 1: The magnetic field in the region just beyond the heliopause is parallel to the magnetic field inside the heliosphere.' That's upended existing models of the Sun's protective bubble. It suggests the heliosphere may be more closely connected to the galaxy's magnetic environment than previously assumed—and that our cosmic shielding from high-energy radiation might work in ways still not fully understood. This has important implications for protecting Earth and for long-duration human spaceflight. The hottest postcard in Space NASA's engineers remain in awe that Voyager 1 still works. The data trickles in at just 160 bits per second. It takes 22 hours for a single message to arrive back at Earth's Deep Space Network. 'That silence after you send a command is the longest coffee break imaginable,' said Todd Barber, Voyager systems engineer. Voyager's ageing plutonium battery can now only support a few instruments. But NASA has juggled power usage carefully to keep the most valuable sensors running. Even at 48 years old, the probe continues to report back from the unknown. Next up: Mapping the edge in high definition NASA is already planning the next step. In 2026, the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) will launch to observe the heliopause from within. It aims to capture the same plasma flows that Voyager just measured, but with modern instruments and clearer resolution. Even further ahead is a proposed Interstellar Probe mission, designed to reach 400 AU in 50 years. Its goal? Map this fiery region—this 'invisible wall of fire'—in unprecedented detail. All of this future planning leans on Voyager's current discoveries. Voyager 1 crossed into interstellar space on 25 August 2012. Its twin, Voyager 2, followed in 2018. But even now, these machines keep pushing the boundaries of what humanity knows about the edge of its own solar neighbourhood. Their findings aren't just scientific curiosities. They help shape real-world plans to shield astronauts from cosmic radiation and inform how Earth's magnetic defences operate. In another dozen years, the last of Voyager 1's instruments may fall silent. But its final contribution—a message from the solar system's burning edge—might be its most important. For now, it's still out there. Floating. Listening. Sending home the secrets of the stars.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Science
- Fox News
NASA revives 'dead' thrusters on Voyager 1 after two decades of inactivity
NASA revived roll thrusters on the 47-year-old Voyager 1 that were thought to be dead for two decades. According to the space agency, scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA, located in Southern California, have reactivated a set of thrusters on the spacecraft. The roll thrusters have not worked since 2004 and are long believed to have been out of commission. These thrusters are important because Voyager's main thrusters appear to have some residue forming that could cause them to clog. Scientists estimate those thrusters could fail as early as Fall 2025. The antenna on Earth responsible for sending commands to both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will be offline for several months. Deep Space Station 43, a 230-foot-wide antenna in Australia, will be offline until February 2026 due to needed upgrades. While that antenna is being upgraded, the team at NASA will not be able to communicate with the twin space probes. Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager and director of the Interplanetary Network at JPL, said these upgrades are important for future Moon missions. "These antenna upgrades are important for future crewed lunar landings, and they also increase communications capacity for our science missions in deep space, some of which are building on the discoveries Voyager made," Dodd said in a press release. Each Voyager has a set of primary thrusters that control movement in all directions as well as smaller thrusters for what is called roll control. Using the smaller thrusters allows the Voyager's antenna to stay aligned with Earth, so the scientists can communicate with it. While there is a third set of thrusters, which were brought back online in 2018 and 2019, Voyager does not have the capability to perform the roll adjustments needed to keep a connection with Earth. If Earth happened to lose connection with Voyager 1, it would be nearly impossible to restore communication. Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and has traveled nearly 15 billion miles away and is currently exploring interstellar space, which is beyond our Solar System. Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have traveled farther than any other human-made objects. Voyager 1's notable discoveries include finding a thin ring around Jupiter, along with 2 moons orbiting the Solar System's largest planet that had not been seen before. It also discovered five moons orbiting Saturn, along with a previously unknown ring around the gas giant.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA works to extend Voyager spacecraft mission again: 'Every day could be our last'
For nearly 50 years, Nasa's twin Voyager spacecraft have just kept swimming – or zooming through space, collecting data from interstellar space farther than any other mission. NASA is trying to keep both spacecraft alive once again by taking additional steps to conserve energy. "Every minute of every day, the Voyagers explore a region where no spacecraft has gone before," Voyager project scientist Linda Spilker said in a NASA release. "That also means every day could be our last. But that day could also bring another interstellar revelation. So, we're pulling out all the stops, doing what we can to make sure Voyagers 1 and 2 continue their trailblazing for the maximum time possible." Voyager 1 and 2 launched in 1977 on a grand tour of the solar system, making flybys of all our planets – just not Pluto, which was still classified as a planet at the time. Voyager 1 And 2 Continue Offering New Mysteries From Interstellar Space After successfully completing each half of their tours, the spacecraft kept going (and going… and going) traveling in opposite directions out into the universe. According to NASA, Voyager 1 is more than 15 billion miles from Earth, and Voyager 2 is over 13 billion miles. The space agency continues to receive data from both space probes through the Deep Space Network even years after they crossed the heliosphere, the protective bubble of solar wind considered the boundary of our solar system. While both Voyager spacecraft started their mission launching from Florida with 10 science instruments, the spacecraft operators at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California continued to shut off instruments to conserve energy. After this month, only three instruments on each will remain operating. NASA announced engineers shut off the cosmic ray subsystem experiment on Voyager 1 on Feb. 25 and will shut off Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument on March 24. Both spacecraft rely on a radioisotope power system that generates electricity from the heat of decaying plutonium. As each year passes, they each lose about 4 watts of power. "The Voyagers have been deep space rock stars since launch, and we want to keep it that way as long as possible," Voyager Project Manager Suzanne Dodd said. "But electrical power is running low. If we don't turn off an instrument on each Voyager now, they would probably have only a few more months of power before we would need to declare end of mission." Don't count the mission out yet. Voyagers teams in California have had an action-packed few years and decades working through issues with both spacecraft, from communication outages to mis-pointing antennae. NASA said with the latest energy conservation game plan, the Voyagers should have enough power to operate for another year before engineers shut off another article source: NASA works to extend Voyager spacecraft mission again: 'Every day could be our last'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA Powers Down Equipment on Voyager Probes as They Struggle for Life
There's more bad news for NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. The twin space probes left the solar system in 2012 and 2018 respectively, and are currently over 15 billion and 13 billion miles from Earth. And their energy sources, on-board radioisotope power systems, are decaying quickly, forcing the space agency's Jet Propulsion Lab to shut down even more of the spacecraft's scientific instruments. According to a new statement, Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem experiment was shut down last month, while Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument will be shut down before the end of March. It's yet another sign that the spacecraft, which have been blasting through space for almost half a century, are on their very last breath. NASA has already had to be extremely conservative with the available power. The radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which use radioactively decaying plutonium-238 isotopes as a direct source of power, are losing roughly four watts of power each year, which means their days are numbered. "The Voyagers have been deep space rock stars since launch, and we want to keep it that way as long as possible," said JPL Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd in the statement. "But electrical power is running low. If we don't turn off an instrument on each Voyager now, they would probably have only a few more months of power before we would need to declare end of mission." The team has been focusing on the spacecraft's scientific instruments that have been studying the solar system's heliosphere, a protective bubble formed by the Sun's activity that separates us from interstellar space. Scientists were already forced to turn off Voyager 2's plasma science instrument as a result of degraded performance back in October. The spacecraft's low-energy charged particle instrument, which will be shut down on March 24, has been relying on a stepper motor that's already vastly exceeded the amount of activity it was tested for. By the time it's deactivated, according to NASA, the motor will have completed more than 8.5 million steps — compared to just 500,000 it was tested for in the 1970s. "The Voyager spacecraft have far surpassed their original mission to study the outer planets," Voyager program scientist Patrick Koehn explained. "Every bit of additional data we have gathered since then is not only valuable bonus science for heliophysics, but also a testament to the exemplary engineering that has gone into the Voyagers — starting nearly 50 years ago and continuing to this day." Scientists are eager to eke out as much life out of the spacecraft as possible — but power is quickly running out. "Every minute of every day, the Voyagers explore a region where no spacecraft has gone before," said Voyager project scientist Linda Spilker in a statement. "That also means every day could be our last." More on the spacecraft: The Voyager Probes Are Dying
