NASA shuts off Voyager 1 instrument to save power 15B miles from Earth

NASA has shut down Voyager 1's Low-Energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument to conserve power as the aging spacecraft continues its journey through interstellar space. The decision aims to extend Voyager 1's operational lifespan amid annual power losses from its decaying plutonium-powered generators. The spacecraft, now over 15 billion miles from Earth, still operates two science instruments measuring plasma waves and magnetic fields.