NASA Powers Down Voyager 2's Plasma Instrument to Conserve Energy

The decision marks a strategic effort to extend the spacecraft's mission in interstellar space as its power supply dwindles.

Voyager 2, launched in 1977, is now over 12.8 billion miles from Earth, operating in interstellar space.
NASA has deactivated the plasma science instrument, reducing the active instruments on Voyager 2 to four.
The plasma instrument was crucial for studying solar wind but became less useful after Voyager 2 left the heliosphere in 2018.
Both Voyager probes are powered by decaying plutonium, losing about 4 watts of power annually, necessitating strategic shutdowns.
NASA aims to keep at least one science instrument operational on Voyager 2 into the 2030s, despite the decreasing power supply.