NASA is taking drastic measures to keep the Voyager mission alive, shutting down instruments on the twin spacecraft to conserve power and extend their lifespan. The move comes as the nuclear batteries powering the probes continue to deplete, with NASA engineers working to squeeze as much life out of the aging spacecraft as possible.

The Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977, have traveled farther than any other human-made objects, venturing into interstellar space and providing unprecedented insights into the heliosphere and interstellar space. However, their radioisotope power system loses around 4 watts each year, necessitating the shutdown of some of the science instruments carried by each probe.

On February 25th, Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem experiment was turned off, and the low-energy charged particle instrument aboard Voyager 2 is set to be shut down on March 24th. This will leave both spacecraft with three out of the ten identical science instruments they launched with remaining operational. According to Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd, "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."

This is not the first time instruments have been turned off to conserve power. After completing their final flyby of the solar system's gas giants, the only equipment that remained powered was prioritized to collect data about the heliosphere and interstellar space. The latest shutdowns are expected to provide enough power to keep the Voyager probes operating for another year.

The Voyager spacecraft have greatly surpassed their expected lifespan, with both probes initially built to last only five years. However, the unique scientific data they've collected has motivated NASA to extend their chances of survival. In 2023, NASA managed to fix Voyager 1 when it stopped transmitting viable data, bringing it back online again in June last year.

Future energy-saving plans include turning off the low-energy charged particle instrument aboard Voyager 1 next year, and Voyager 2's cosmic ray subsystem in 2026. With these efforts, NASA engineers believe the two probes could continue operating with at least one science instrument into the 2030s, providing unforeseen challenges don't arise.

As Voyager project scientist Linda Spilker noted, "Every minute of every day, the Voyagers explore a region where no spacecraft has gone before... 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."

The Voyager mission's continued operation is a testament to NASA's commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration and scientific discovery. As the agency works to extend the mission's lifespan, the world waits with bated breath for the next groundbreaking revelations from the edge of our solar system.