Voyager 1 relays messages to NASA’s mission control team after losing contact due to a technical issue. The aging spacecraft is relying on an old radio transmitter.

But something went wrong. On October 18, the spacecraft did not respond. Voyager 1 uses an X-band radio transmitter to communicate with the Deep Space Network.

Scientists communicate with both Voyager probes by using a radio transmitter that operates on X-band frequencies, within a range of 8 to 12 gigahertz, via NASA’s Deep Space Network, a web of ...

NASA artist's concept of a Voyager spacecraft in deep space (main) and stock image of the solar system (inset). Voyager 1 briefly lost contact with NASA due to a radio issue.