Lab eyes problem with data from aging Voyager 2 near edge of solar system

Lab eyes problem with data from Voyager 2 in space

LOS ANGELES — NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory says engineers are trying to diagnose a problem with data being sent from the aging Voyager 2 spacecraft near the edge of the solar system.

A JPL statement Thursday said scientists are eyeing a system that formats data. Mission managers are having trouble decoding the information.

For now, Voyager 2 has been set to transmit only data on the health and status of the spacecraft.

Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, were launched in 1977 and are now the most distant human-made objects.

Voyager 2 is 8.6 billion miles from Earth. Voyager 1 is about 2 billion miles farther out and is expected to leave the solar system in about five years.