Inkqubo yokulawula amandla ethi "Big Bang" eyenziwe kwiVoyager 2 ngoJulayi 2026 yandise ubomi bokusebenza kwezixhobo zesayensi ezintathu (iMagnetometer, iPlasma Wave Subsystem, kunye neCosmic Ray Subsystem) ubuncinane unyaka omnye owongezelelweyo. Impumelelo yale nkqubo yaxelwa yiNASA kuhlaziyo lwe-4 Agasti 2026.    

Iqela lobuchwephesha kwiJet Propulsion Laboratory yeNASA liphumelele ekwenzeni inkqubo yokonga umbane eyandise ubomi bokusebenza kwesiphekepheke seVoyager 2 esiphelelwa ngamandla avela kwijenereyitha yaso.

Le nkqubo (ebizwa ngokuba yiBig Bang ngenxa yokutshintshwa kwezixhobo ezininzi ngaxeshanye) yayiquka ukucima ii-heaters ezimbini ezizinikeleyo kunye ne-digital tape recorder kunye nokuvula ii-heaters ezisebenzisa amandla aphantsi kunye nesinye isixhobo esivelisa ubushushu ukugcina i-spacecraft ishushu ngokwaneleyo ukuba isebenze kwindawo ephakathi kweenkwenkwezi malunga ne-2.7 K. Oku kwaphumela ekugcinweni kwamandla aphantse abe yi-10 watts (ngaphandle kwempembelelo embi kwiinkqubo ezibalulekileyo) okwaneleyo ukuvumela izixhobo zesayensi eziseleyo ezintathu (iMagnetometer, iPlasma Wave Subsystem, kunye neCosmic Ray Subsystem) ukuba ziqhubeke nokusebenza ubuncinane unyaka omnye owongezelelweyo. Ngaphandle kwenkqubo yokonga umbane, ezi zixhobo bekuza kufuneka zicinywe ekupheleni kwalo nyaka. 

I-Voyager spacecraft iqhutywa zii-radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) eziguqula ubushushu obuvela kwi-plutonium ebolayo bube ngumbane. Ezi generators zilahlekelwe zii-watts ezi-4 zamandla ngonyaka ngenxa yokuncipha kobonelelo lwe-plutonium ukusukela ekuqalisweni kwazo ngo-1977. Ezi spacecraft okwangoku zisebenza ngamandla amancinci kakhulu afuna ukuvalwa kwezixhobo kunye neenkqubo ezingezizo ezibalulekileyo ukuze kongiwe amandla. 

I-Voyager 2 okwangoku ikwiikhilomitha ezingama-21.37 zeebhiliyoni ukusuka eMhlabeni ihamba kwindawo ephakathi kweenkwenkwezi. I-Voyager 1 ikwiikhilomitha ezingama-25.57 zeebhiliyoni ukusuka eMhlabeni. Zizo zodwa izindiza zasolwandle eziye zanqumla i-heliosphere yeLanga zaya kwindawo ephakathi kweenkwenkwezi.

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Imbekiselo: 

1. Iinjineli zeNASA Zinceda Ukwandisa Umsebenzi Wezesayensi weVoyager 2. Iposiwe nge-4 ka-Agasti 2026. Ifumaneka apha https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/voyager/2026/08/04/nasa-engineers-help-prolong-voyager-2s-science-mission/
2. I-NASA. I-Voyager – Isithunywa seenkwenkwezi. Ifumaneka apha https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/
3. I-NASA Voyager 2 Isenokuba Isondele Kwindawo Ephakathi Kweenkwenkwezi. 05 Okthobha 2018. Iyafumaneka apha https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-voyager-2-could-be-nearing-interstellar-space/

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Inqaku elidibeneyo:

1. IVoyager 1 iqalisa kwakhona ukuthumela umqondiso eMhlabeni  (23 April 2024) 
2. I-Voyager 2: unxibelelwano olupheleleyo luphinde lwamiselwa kwaye lwamiswa (5 Agasti 2023) 
3. ….Ichaphaza eliBhulu eliPale, ekuphela kweKhaya Esakhe Saziwa (13 Januwari 2022) 

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