Voyager 2 was running out of power. NASA just bought it more time

NASA engineers have found a way to free up additional power aboard Voyager 2, helping the nearly 50-year-old spacecraft continue its scientific work for longer. Voyager 2's Shrinking Power SupplyVoyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, rely on radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which produce electricity from heat released by decaying plutonium. An Extra Year of ScienceWithout the "Big Bang" power saving effort, the Voyager team would have needed to turn off another instrument aboard Voyager 2 before the end of 2026. The newly freed power is expected to keep the spacecraft's three remaining instruments operating for at least one additional year. NASA plans to carry out the same power-saving swap on Voyager 1, which is currently farther from Earth than Voyager 2.