One NASA Voyager probe refused to communicate with Earth while the other launched aboard a leaky rocket.
NASA’s twin Voyager space probes launched 40 years ago
The space agency recently fired Voyager 1’s thrusters, orienting the robot’s antenna toward Earth and helping extend its mission.
However, both of the Voyagers nearly failed during launch in 1977.
One probe refused to communicate with Earth while the other launched aboard a leaky rocket.
More than four decades after NASA launched the Voyager probes, the twin robots are still humming along in deep space.
In fact, on November 29, the space agency fired up one of the robot’s thrusters after 37 years of dormancy — and they worked flawlessly.
The puffs of propellant rotated Voyager 1 into a position that helps it communicate with Earth from 13 billion miles away, where it’s traveling through the unexplored space between stars.
Tech: NASA’s famous Voyager probes nearly failed during their rocket launches — here’s what went terribly wrong
