NASA engineers have successfully revived Voyager 1’s backup thrusters, which had been inactive since 2004, due to the degradation of the primary thrusters from residue buildup. This revival was critical to maintain communication with Earth, especially with a looming deadline as the Earth-based antenna was scheduled for upgrades after May 4. After a tense 23-hour wait for signals, the team celebrated when the backup thrusters responded flawlessly, a testament to the engineers’ ingenuity in addressing what was deemed a defunct system.
