NASA has made the difficult decision to shut down the low-energy charged particles experiment (LECP) on Voyager 1 to conserve power, as the spacecraft approaches its 49th year in operation. The shutdown, executed on April 17 by engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is part of a long-term strategy to ensure the probe can continue sending back data from interstellar space. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object, currently over 15 billion miles from Earth. The LECP has been operational since the spacecraft's launch, studying particles from both the solar system and interstellar space. Despite the shutdown, Voyager 1 retains two active instruments that monitor plasma waves and magnetic fields. Engineers are also exploring a new strategy, informally called the “Big Bang,” to replace power-hungry components with more efficient alternatives, potentially extending Voyager 1's operational life by at least one year.