NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, which launched 47 years ago, are shutting down some of their scientific instruments to conserve power as they explore interstellar space. Voyager 1, currently over 15 billion miles from Earth, and Voyager 2, over 13 billion miles away, are the farthest human-made objects in space.

Due to their dwindling power supply, both spacecraft are turning off some instruments. Voyager 1 powered down its cosmic ray subsystem on February 25, 2025, while Voyager 2 will shut off its low-energy charged particle instrument on March 24, 2025. Each probe will retain three functioning instruments.

The probes, originally tasked with studying the outer planets, have far exceeded their initial mission goals. As they venture beyond the solar system, they continue to collect valuable data about interstellar space. Despite reduced power, the spacecraft will still measure cosmic rays, plasma waves, and magnetic fields, contributing valuable scientific insights.

NASA engineers have managed to overcome numerous challenges to keep the spacecraft operational, and both Voyagers are expected to continue collecting data well into the 2030s, depending on their power usage and technical issues.