NASA to keep its 48-year-old Voyager 2 probe running for yet another year

NASA announced it will keep the Voyager 2 probe operating for at least another year by reducing its power requirements, officials said in a statement. Engineers turned off non-science devices and switched to lower-power alternatives to conserve energy as the spacecraft's plutonium power supply declines by about four watts per year. The power margins have grown razor thin, requiring the team to shut off non-essential systems, NASA officials wrote. Voyager 2 launched in 1977 with 10 instruments and is now down to three. The probe had been expected to lose another instrument this year, but the new power management will allow all three to continue operating. Voyager 1 will undergo the same power change in the coming months. A signal takes nearly 24 hours to reach each spacecraft. Voyager 2 is at about 142 astronomical units from the sun, while Voyager 1 is nearing 171 AU.