A few months ago a computer stopped working. Not just any computer: a computer from NASA, the American space agency. But it couldn’t be replaced, because that computer travels at a speed of 17 kilometers per second. And you couldn’t even let it go, considering it as lost. Because that computer is on board the furthest probe from planet Earth, it is 24 billion kilometers away, and on board it carries a golden disc containing a compendium of life on Earth in case one day it should be intercepted by alien intelligence in interstellar space. This story is not a science fiction tale but the true story of how a group of aerospace engineers within a few months attempted the most extraordinary computer repair and it was successful.
The probe is called Voyager 1 and it came launched into space on 5 September 1977. They were roaring years for space exploration and also thanks to the inspiration of the astronomer and popularizer Carl Sagan, the idea was to launch an object into space capable of telling extraterrestrials who we are and what we do. Sagan himself was responsible for selecting images, sounds, music and even greetings in 55 languages, from the ancient Akkadian of the Sumerians to a Chinese dialect (there is also an Italian entry). For 47 years everything went well, the extraterrestrials were not seen, but Voyager 1 continued to send signals to Earth as it ventured into interstellar space. If you think about it, it was half a miracle: a computer that was supposed to last 5 years, continued to operate for nearly half a century. But last November 14th something broke, the signals were arriving but they were indecipherable. Diagnosis: One of the computer chips had stopped working.
This is where the undertaking began, complicated by the fact that a signal takes 22 and a half hours to arrive on Voyager and the same amount is needed to receive a response. On April 22nd the announcement: Voyager has resumed operation. In the photo posted on social media you see a group of engineers, not very young, who rejoice and applaud. Compared to other historic photos of space exploits, such as the first moon landing, there are many women: we must remember to tell the aliens that gender equality has not yet been achieved but has lots of progress since Voyager 1 left in 1977.