# Voyager 1 Reaches One Light-Day Milestone After Big Bang Fix NASA restores communication with the historic spacecraft using an innovative power management technique. - **Source:** [Universe Today](https://www.universetoday.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [science](https://brifing.si/c/science) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/827d3ab1-6377-4342-b458-7ed22917e8f3 ## Historic Milestone Reached Voyager 1 is set to become the first human-made object to reach the one light-day distance mark on November 18, 2024. This milestone represents a distance of approximately 26 billion kilometers, or 172 Astronomical Units, from the Sun. The spacecraft continues its journey into interstellar space, traveling at 16.9 kilometers per second. ## The Big Bang Solution NASA engineers successfully implemented a fix dubbed the Big Bang to restore communication after a 48-hour outage on October 20. The method involved swapping three primary units, including heaters and an old digital tape recorder, with secondary low-power options. This complex procedure ensures the spacecraft remains operational despite its aging hardware systems. ## Managing Power Constraints The mission relies on Plutonium-238 fueled radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which lose about 4 watts of power annually. With current power levels hovering slightly above 200 watts, controllers must make difficult trade-offs. These constraints forced the planned shutdown of the Low Energy Charged Particle experiment, which is scheduled to occur in early 2026. ## Operational Instrument Status Despite the aging power supply, critical instruments like the Plasma Wave Subsystem and a magnetometer remain active on Voyager 1. The recent Big Bang swap was essential to prevent the premature shutdown of another crucial instrument in 2027. These instruments are vital for sampling the region of space directly beyond the solar heliosphere. ## Legacy of the Grand Tour Launched in 1977, the Voyager missions conducted a historic Grand Tour of the solar system, flying past Jupiter and Saturn. Voyager 1 performed a close flyby of Titan in 1980, which set its trajectory out of the solar system plane. These missions remain the only human-made artifacts to sample interstellar space directly. ## Deep Space Network Monitoring NASA’s global Deep Space Network continues to track the increasingly faint signals transmitted by the distant Voyager spacecraft. Engineers anticipate that signal outages will become more frequent as the mission progresses further into deep space. The team remains vigilant, preparing for unexpected challenges as the spacecraft approaches its half-century anniversary next year. ## Comparison to Human Exploration The distance of one light-day is vast compared to human spaceflight achievements. The Moon and cis-lunar space, which represent the farthest points humans have traveled to date, are just over one light-second away. Voyager 1 is currently moving toward the constellation Ophiuchus, continuing its journey into the unknown depths of galactic space. ## Future of Interstellar Missions Voyager 1 and 2, along with the Pioneer missions and New Horizons, are currently leaving the solar system. While no immediate successor is currently escaping the solar system, the proposed Interstellar Probe mission could eventually follow their path. The dedication of the Voyager team continues to push the boundaries of human-made exploration. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.universetoday.com/articles/big-bang-fix-puts-voyager-across-the-one-light-day-mark — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._