On July 21, NASA temporarily lost contact with Voyager 2, one of its most famous spacecraft. Launched on Aug. 20, 1977, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Voyager 2—now over 12.3 billion miles away—has been in continuous service for 46 years.

After investigating the four outermost planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—for 12 years, Voyager 2 headed out into the vastness of interstellar space.

Voyager 2 is now so far away that each signal from JPL takes 18.5 hours to reach the craft, and vice versa. Round-trip for a conversation takes 37 hours.

Back in July, the team discovered a mistake in the instructions they were about to send to Voyager 2. However, they inadvertently transmitted that incorrect signal, causing the space probe’s earthward-pointing antenna to shift 2 degrees, enough to cut off communication.

The JPL team decided on a brute-force solution: colleagues at a NASA affiliate in Australia beamed the strongest radio signal it could muster—an interstellar “shout”—to Voyager 2. The solution worked. 

This short-lived, panic-stricken episode demonstrated five great lessons for service-­oriented electrical contractors intent on exploring emerging markets here on terra firma.

1. There’s no substitute for firsthand investigation.

Voyager 1 and 2 space probes were launched separately in the summer of 1977 to learn about the gas giant planets. They did, sending back data that would provide the basis for rewriting astronomy textbooks. ECs exploring emerging markets will never fully comprehend their inherent possibilities without a firsthand look.

The Voyager mission revealed such unexpected planetary phenomena as volcanoes on one of Jupiter’s moons by going on a tour of the solar system. Likewise, service-oriented contractors should expect the unexpected as they personally visit customers.

2. Continued success requires initial planning and preparation.

The scientists and engineers who designed and outfitted the Voyager spacecraft were preparing them for a five-year life amidst the destructively harsh environment of space. For example, knowing they would travel too far away to depend on solar power, they equipped them with a nuclear generator.

But the greatest foresight of the original JPL team was programming the probes to automatically recheck antenna direction every few months. Had an August radio blast from Australia failed to reorient its antenna, Voyager 2 would have corrected the problem on its own in October.

Likewise, electrical contractors delving into emerging markets—especially in the era of the electrification of everything—must plan and be prepared for the good and bad unknowns they will encounter.

3. Leveraging existing relationships will propel you further and faster.

The original timing of the Voyager mission was prompted by a rare alignment of the four outermost planets in the solar system, which only occurs every 176 years.

That special lineup of the gas giants would allow the spacecraft to enter orbit around each of them and gain momentum through a “gravity assist” that would accelerate them into space toward the next flyby, saving energy and time.

ECs can explore possibilities in emerging markets by leveraging existing relationships to connect with the right customers associated with any given emerging market.

4. Double coverage is not a luxury; it’s essential.

Voyager 1 and 2 were launched at different times and sent on different trajectories.

Service-oriented electrical contractors should likewise plan for double coverage of emerging markets. When at least two people are tracking down possibilities for new business, they can reinforce each other’s efforts. Most electrical firms are not large enough to support one full-time marketer, let alone two. So, as you consider who on your team already shows an aptitude for investigating new technology, bear in mind that it’s always better to have at least two engaged in business development.

5. Staying on course requires continuous reinvention.

Staying on course in any field requires continuous reinvention. An astute marketer, always ready to adjust, can sell umbrellas on a rainy or sunny day.

The Voyager mission began as a five-year venture to explore Jupiter and Saturn. It turned into an exploration of all four outer planets and more. Those at JPL just kept on reinventing the mission.

The two spacecraft were launched about three months after the release of the original “Star Wars” movie. While we are quick to admire the imagination that goes into that genre of movie-making, it is no more amazing than the kind of creative thinking that has propelled Voyager 1 and 2 billions of miles into space. 

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