Voyager 2 Loses Contact with Earth, But Hope Remains

Voyager 2, one of the most iconic spacecraft in history, lost contact with Earth on July 21, 2023. This was due to a series of planned commands that inadvertently caused the spacecraft to point its antenna away from Earth. As a result, the stream of data from Voyager 2 is bounding off into space instead of linking up with the Deep Space Network.

The loss of contact with Voyager 2 is a temporary setback, but NASA is confident that it will be able to re-establish contact with the spacecraft in October. Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation several times a year to keep the antenna pointed toward Earth. The next reset is scheduled for October 15, 2023. If all goes well, NASA will be able to re-establish contact with the spacecraft at that time.

In the meantime, Voyager 2 is continuing on its journey through interstellar space. It is currently about 12.3 billion miles (19.7 billion kilometers) from Earth and traveling at a speed of about 38,000 miles per hour (61,000 kilometers per hour). It is expected to continue operating for many years to come.