NASA shuts down plasma science instrument on Voyager 2 due to power decline

NASA has turned off the plasma science instrument on Voyager 2 due to decreasing power from its plutonium sources. This instrument measured ionized particles but has provided limited data in recent years. Voyager 2, launched in 1977, is now over 20.5 billion kilometers from Earth. It still operates four other instruments that study interstellar space, but it may only support one by the 2030s. The decision follows years of efforts to conserve power and maintain scientific operations. Voyager 2 entered interstellar space in 2018, and the plasma instrument was last used every three months.