Last days of the lonely interstellar spacecraft

The Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977, have become humanity's farthest-reaching emissaries, with Voyager 1 now over 15 billion miles from Earth. Initially designed for a grand tour of the outer planets, both Voyager probes have continued their journey into interstellar space, carrying a golden record intended for potential extraterrestrial finders. However, Voyager 1 recently ceased communication, presenting a challenge for NASA, as many engineers who originally worked on the spacecraft have retired or passed away, leading to a loss of institutional knowledge.

The current team, significantly reduced from the hundreds involved during the planetary encounters, is struggling to diagnose the issue, referred to as "the anomaly." Suzanne Dodd, the project manager, and Linda Spilker, the project scientist, are among the few remaining who have dedicated decades to the mission. They have formed a "tiger team" of experts to address the problem, many of whom are nearing retirement themselves. The urgency is heightened as the team seeks to revive the spacecraft's communication systems, relying on archived knowledge and the expertise of veteran engineers. The mission, costing about $7 million annually, represents a small fraction of NASA's budget but holds immense historical and scientific significance, symbolizing humanity's quest for knowledge beyond our planet.