NASA has successfully extended the operational life of Voyager 2 through a software update known as "Big Bang," allowing the 1977 probe to continue its mission for one more year. The update was transmitted across 13 billion miles, marking another milestone for the aging spacecraft. Voyager 2's power source, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, converts heat from decaying plutonium into electricity, but as the plutonium depletes, the probe loses around 4 watts of power annually.

Originally equipped with 10 scientific instruments, only three remain active as NASA deactivates others to conserve energy. The "Big Bang" operation involved turning off certain powered devices and replacing them with lower-power alternatives while ensuring the spacecraft stays warm enough to function. Thanks to this adjustment, Voyager 2 can continue conducting science until next year.

Launched two weeks before its twin Voyager 1, the probe was designed to study the gas giants and reached Jupiter in 1979, visiting all gas giants within a decade. In 2018, it entered interstellar space, providing valuable data on plasma density and temperature beyond the heliosphere.