The Voyager probes are each turning off an instrument to avoid ending their 47-year-long missions later this year.

NASA engineers are turning off two instruments on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 to ensure these twin spacecraft can continue exploring interstellar space.

To help them conserve energy, mission operators at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are shutting off one scientific instrument on Voyager 1 and another on Voyager 2. The move will buy both spacecraft a bit of extra time on their journeys through the cosmos.

For nearly five decades, the twin Voyager spacecraft have pushed the boundaries of human exploration, venturing deeper into the cosmos than any other human-made object. As their power dwindles, NASA engineers are making tough choices,

NASA is switching off two science instruments on its long-running twin Voyager spacecraft to save power. The space agency said Wednesday an instrument on Voyager 2 that measures charged particles and cosmic rays will shut off later this month.

NASA has made the difficult decision to turn off two science instruments aboard the Voyager spacecraft, ensuring that the longest-running space mission in history continues well into the 2030s. As power levels aboard the twin probes dwindle,