Why are scientists worried about Voyager 1?

It is likely that you are referring to the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which was launched in 1977 as part of NASA's Voyager mission to study the outer Solar System. Voyager 1 is currently the most distant human-made object from Earth, and it is the first spacecraft to have entered interstellar space.



Scientists are not necessarily worried about Voyager 1 itself, as the spacecraft is still operational and sending back valuable scientific data. However, the spacecraft is powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which convert the heat produced by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 into electricity. These RTGs have a limited lifespan and will eventually stop functioning, at which point Voyager 1 will no longer be able to transmit data back to Earth.

This is not a immediate concern, as the RTGs are still functioning and are expected to continue doing so for several more years. However, scientists are interested in maximizing the amount of data that they can gather from Voyager 1 before it goes silent, and they are working to make sure that the spacecraft's instruments are calibrated and functioning properly.

Overall, while scientists are not necessarily worried about Voyager 1 itself, they are interested in continuing to gather data from the spacecraft for as long as possible.

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