NASA’s Remarkable Revival of Voyager 1’s Thrusters

It’s Friday, May 16, 2025, at 3:11 PM here in my corner of the world, and the latest news from NASA has got a lot of us talking. The space agency has pulled off an incredible feat by reviving the backup thrusters on Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object from Earth, which had been considered dead for over two decades. This update, reported yesterday by The Register, highlights the ingenuity of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team and ensures the spacecraft can keep communicating with us for a bit longer. Let’s break down what happened, why it matters, and what it means for the future of this aging explorer.

Voyager 1, launched in 1977 alongside its twin Voyager 2, has been a trailblazer in space exploration. Now over 15 billion miles away, it crossed into interstellar space in 2012, becoming the first human-made object to leave the heliosphere—the Sun’s protective bubble. Its primary mission was to study the outer planets, but it’s been sending back data about interstellar space ever since, powered by a fading radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Keeping it operational is a challenge, especially with its thrusters, which are critical for pointing its antenna toward Earth to maintain contact.

The trouble started last year when NASA noticed issues with Voyager 1’s thrusters. The primary attitude control thrusters, responsible for orientation, were clogging up due to silicon dioxide buildup in the fuel lines, a byproduct of the aging rubber diaphragm in the fuel tank. This problem was first detected in 2002, and by 2024, the clogging had worsened, reducing the thruster efficiency. To cope, the team switched to a different set of thrusters in 2018 and 2019, but those too began to degrade. The backup thrusters, unused since 2004 and declared inoperable due to similar clogging, became the last hope. The Register’s report from May 15, 2025, confirms that NASA successfully revived these backup thrusters, a move dubbed a “Hail Mary” fix by some

The urgency of this repair came from a tight deadline. The Deep Space Network’s Canberra antenna, the only one with enough power to send commands to Voyager 1, went offline on May 4 for upgrades that will last until February 2026. This antenna is vital because it’s the primary link to the spacecraft, located 15 billion miles away, where radio signals take about 22.5 hours to travel one way. Without the ability to adjust its orientation, Voyager 1 risked losing contact during this blackout. The JPL team had to act fast, and their solution involved a creative approach—likely using heat to clear the clogged lines, though exact details haven’t been disclosed. Within 20 minutes of sending the command, they saw the thruster temperature rise, confirming the fix worked.

This isn’t the first time Voyager 1 has faced challenges. Over the years, NASA has turned off instruments to conserve power, like the plasma science experiment in 2007, and recently adjusted operations to extend its life. The thruster issue added another layer of complexity, but the team’s success is a testament to their problem-solving skills. Todd Barber, the mission’s propulsion lead at JPL, called it a “miracle save,” noting the high morale when the thrusters fired up. The backup thrusters, though dormant since 2004, were brought back online just in time to ensure Voyager 1 can maintain its position through the antenna upgrades, with brief operational windows in August and December 2025.

Voyager 1’s data has been invaluable, revealing details about the heliosphere’s shape and interstellar conditions. Its twin, Voyager 2, is about 13 billion miles away and has undergone similar thruster swaps in 1999 and 2019, though its situation is less critical. Both spacecraft, launched to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, have exceeded their original missions, now focusing on the space beyond. The recent thruster fix buys Voyager 1 more time, but its power will likely run out by 2030, forcing NASA to prioritize which instruments stay active.

This achievement has sparked excitement online. People on platforms like X have called it a “stunning save,” with some marveling at how a spacecraft from the 1970s, with tech less powerful than a modern calculator, keeps going. The revival reflects NASA’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, even with aging equipment. It’s also a reminder of the spacecraft’s golden record, carrying Earth’s sounds and images, a message to any potential extraterrestrial finders.

It shows that with creativity and determination, we can keep exploring the unknown. Voyager 1’s journey—now extended by this thruster fix—continues to inspire, offering a glimpse into the cosmos that’s been traveling since before many of us were born. As the upgrades proceed, NASA will keep monitoring the spacecraft, hoping to squeeze out every last bit of science. It’s a small victory, but one that keeps our connection to the stars alive a little longer.