Why Voyager 1 Is Talking in Gibberish

Voyager 1, a spacecraft exploring beyond our solar system, encountered a mysterious issue with its signal data. Despite being 24 billion kilometers away, it sent back garbled information, puzzling NASA scientists. The problem was traced to the spacecraft using an older, faulty computer system. After months of investigation, NASA resolved the issue by switching back to the correct system. The incident highlights the challenges of maintaining such an old spacecraft in interstellar space and leaves some questions unanswered about why the switch occurred.

What is the primary mission of Voyager 1?

• To explore the planets within our solar system

• To explore areas beyond our solar system's planets

• To study the Sun's magnetic field

• To communicate with potential alien life

What unusual issue did NASA scientists encounter with Voyager 1?

• The power supply was completely depleted

• The spacecraft's antenna was damaged

• The data received was incoherent and nonsensical

• The spacecraft stopped sending any data

Which system on Voyager 1 was identified as behaving strangely?

• The Attitude Articulation and Control System (AACS)

• The power supply system

• The communication antenna

• The scientific instruments

Why did Voyager 1 not activate its emergency safe mode?

• It was unable to detect any issues

• The safe mode system was malfunctioning

• The scientists disabled the safe mode

• The spacecraft was too far from Earth

What was the cause of the incoherent data from Voyager 1?

• Antenna misalignment

• Use of an older, faulty AACS computer

• Interference from cosmic rays

• A software glitch in the main computer

What simple solution did NASA implement to resolve the issue?

• Switching to a backup power supply

• Asking Voyager 1 to use the correct computer

• Rebooting the entire spacecraft

• Realigning the antenna

What remains a mystery about Voyager 1's recent issue?

• Why the scientific instruments stopped working

• Why the spacecraft switched to the old computer

• Why the antenna signal was lost

• How the power supply was restored