NASA says it has experienced an unplanned “communications pause” with the Voyager 2 probe.
According to the space agency, the issue began when the spacecraft’s antenna was inadvertently pointed in the wrong direction.
Routine commands sent to the vessel on July 21 accidentally triggered a 2-degree change in Voyager 2′s antenna orientation, according to a statement from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
The change in orientation has affected the craft’s ability to receive or transmit data back to Earth.
Launched in 1977, the probe carries with it a so-call “golden record,” a time capsule of sorts about life on Earth. The idea would be to present to any extraterrestrial lifeform an explanation about the craft and where it came from.
The radio blackout should be temporary, according to Live Science. Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its antenna’s alignment several times throughout the year. The next reset is scheduled for Oct. 15.
