On October 24, NASA successfully reestablished contact with the Voyager 1 spacecraft after a brief communication pause. Recently, Voyager 1 shut off one of its two radio transmitters, and NASA’s team is now working to identify the cause.

The shutdown appears to have been triggered by the spacecraft’s fault protection system, which automatically manages onboard issues. This system conserves power by disabling non-essential systems if the spacecraft’s power supply is overstretched. However, it could take days to weeks for the team to pinpoint what exactly activated the fault protection system.