NASA has successfully updated the Voyager 2 spacecraft, extending its operational life by an estimated year. The mission, launched in 1977, is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator that loses power over time. To conserve energy, NASA implemented an operation called "Big Bang," which involved deactivating some instruments and switching to lower-power alternatives, allowing its remaining three scientific instruments to continue collecting data. AI
IMPACT Extends the operational life of a long-running deep-space probe, enabling continued data collection on interstellar space.
RANK_REASON Update to an existing spacecraft, not a new release.
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