NASA engineers have kept Voyager 1’s remaining science instruments running longer by replacing three power-hungry heating devices with lower-power alternatives, as the probe approaches a distance of one light-day from Earth on Nov. 18, 2026 [discovermagazine.com][skyatnightmagazine.com][sciencedaily.com]. Engineers completed the change, called the “Big Bang,” in September to delay another instrument shutdown that otherwise could have come by summer 2027 [discovermagazine.com][sciencedaily.com]. The probe, launched in 1977, briefly stopped communicating after scheduled communication attempts on Oct. 18 and 19; its signal returned on Oct. 20. Engineers found that a set of thrusters had gone offline and the spacecraft had automatically switched to its backup, but NASA’s Voyager team has not identified the cause of the interruption [skyatnightmagazine.com][sciencedaily.com]. On Nov. 18, Voyager 1 will be about 16.09 billion miles from Earth, with a 24-hour one-way signal delay and a 48-hour round trip [discovermagazine.com][sciencedaily.com]. Highlights: • Power decline: Voyager’s radioisotope generators lose about 4 watts of output each year as plutonium decays, forcing the team to switch off equipment to conserve electricity [discovermagazine.com][skyatnightmagazine.com][sciencedaily.com]. • Instrument record: The spacecraft launched with 10 dedicated science instruments; power limits have already led NASA to deactivate two in recent years [sciencedaily.com]. • Golden Records: Each Voyager carries a phonograph record with images and sounds representing Earth’s life and culture, intended as a greeting to any extraterrestrial civilization that might find it [skyatnightmagazine.com]. "“This is the first time we’ve seen the spacecraft do something like this, but we are also at a point in the mission where we have to expect the unexpected.”" — Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sources: • As Voyager 1 Nears a Historic Milestone, NASA Uses Clever Engineering To Keep the Probe Going  - discovermagazine.com • I'm NASA's ex-chief scientist. Here's how the Voyager missions revolutionised our exploration of the Solar System - skyatnightmagazine.com • NASA gets Voyager 1 back online after comms glitch – just in time for the probe to reach a mind-blowing milestone - skyatnightmagazine.com • NASA’s Voyager 1 is about to reach a historic one-light-day milestone - sciencedaily.com --- 📰 Story aggregated by Kagi News