NASA’s Operation Big Bang extends Voyager 2’s science mission
NASA engineers have successfully executed a power-saving update dubbed “Big Bang,” extending the operational life of the Voyager 2 probe’s scientific instruments by another year. Nearly 50 years after launch, the spacecraft relies on a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) that converts heat from decaying plutonium into electricity, losing roughly 4 watts of power annually. Read:…