[wolverine876]

> [1] https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/frequently-asked-questions/

Also:

Even if science data won't likely be collected after 2025, engineering data could continue to be returned for several more years. The two Voyager spacecraft could remain in the range of the Deep Space Network through about 2036, depending on how much power the spacecraft still have to transmit a signal back to Earth.

That FAQ covers a lot of interesting ground (though it talks about 2020 in the future tense).

After Voyager 1 took its last image (the "Solar System Family Portrait" in 1990), the cameras were turned off to save power and memory ...

I didn't realize that was the last image.

... it is very dark where the Voyagers are now. While you could still see some brighter stars and some of the planets with the cameras, you can actually see these stars and planets better with amateur telescopes on Earth.

[xattt]

> the cameras were turned off to save power and memory

Since it’s powered by an RTG, how does the power get “used up”? I assume that this refers to the available power budget at a given moment versus some sort of expendable power reserve.

[8bitsrule]

It's the first question at the top of that ^ FAQ page. One of their comments is : "Mission managers removed the software from both spacecraft that controls the camera." Makes me wonder if that unused RAM came in handy lately!

[wkat4242]

It's radioactive so the half-life has a serious effect. Its half-life is 87 years so it's not even used up one. I guess it wasn't really very overdimensioned. But it wasn't meant to last this long.

[Yossarrian22]

Probably a physical relay to deal with parasitic power draw

[xcv123]

Yes the power budget is decreasing as the generator output decreases over time.

[exitb]

> The two Voyager spacecraft could remain in the range of the Deep Space Network through about 2036

It would be quite depressing if it was us failing to receive a fainter signal, rather than Voyager failing to send it.

[gpvos]

I think the reverse would be more depressing. There will inevitably come a time when the signal will be indiscernible from the background noise.

[wolverine876]

Is that strictly true? Doesn't it depend on the signal processing power of the receiver?