NASA engineers successfully reactivated dormant thrusters on the Voyager 1 spacecraft, preventing a potential communications blackout during planned antenna upgrades. The 46-year-old probe, 15.5 billion miles from Earth, was facing a critical thruster failure. Reactivating the primary thrusters, inactive since 2004, ensures Voyager 1 can maintain its orientation and continue sending data until communications are restored next year. This achievement averted a potential mission-ending scenario.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.