NASA engineers at JPL shut down Voyager 1's Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument on April 17 to conserve power on the nearly 49-year-old spacecraft. The probe's radioisotope thermoelectric generator loses about 4 watts per year, leaving razor-thin power margins. A power drop during a February maneuver prompted the team to act before the spacecraft's automatic fault protection could trigger. Voyager 1 still has two operating science instruments measuring plasma waves and magnetic fields. Engineers are also developing a larger power-saving overhaul called 'the Big Bang,' planned for testing on Voyager 2 in May–June 2026, with Voyager 1 to follow no sooner than July. If successful, the LECP could potentially be reactivated.
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