Voyager's new power strategy boosts scientific capabilities.

NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977, will keep its science instruments turned on until 2026, thanks to a new power strategy that uses a small reservoir of backup power set aside as part of an onboard safety mechanism. The Voyager probes are the only spacecraft ever to operate outside the heliosphere, and are helping scientists answer questions about the shape of the heliosphere and its role in protecting Earth from the energetic particles and other radiation found in the interstellar environment.