The Voyager 1 probe is returning some strange data from interstellar space that NASA experts are puzzled by.
The direction of the 1970s-era space probe currently appears to be arbitrarily produced or does not reflect any probable scenario.
The erroneous data comes from the onboard equipment known as the "attitude articulation and control system," or AACS, which measures, reports, and modifies the vehicle's location in space.
The system keeps an antenna pointing at Earth to broadcast data back to Earth. The new strange circumstance calls into question the long-term mission's future.
The fact that Voyager 1 continues to return data from its science instruments suggests that the controls are still operational, even if the data is confusing. Otherwise, it appears to be in good working order.
In a NASA statement released Wednesday, Suzanne Dodd, project manager for Voyager 1 and 2, stated, "A mystery like this is sort of par for the course at this stage of the Voyager mission."