Nasa has successfully reestablished full contact with its Voyager 2 probe earlier than expected. In July, a wrong command caused the spacecraft, launched in 1977 for space exploration, to lose its position and communication with Earth.

Thanks to an "interstellar shout" - a powerful instruction - the probe's antenna is now facing Earth again, allowing Nasa to pick up a signal on Tuesday. Initially, Nasa hoped the spacecraft would reset itself in October, but the recent "interstellar shout" proved effective after 37 hours of analysis.

Mission controllers used the "highest-power transmitter" and timed the message transmission during optimal conditions to ensure the antenna aligned with the command.

Previously, the probe was unable to receive commands or transmit data to Nasa's Deep Space Network. However, on August 4, Nasa confirmed that data had been received from Voyager 2, and it is now operating normally.

Nasa is confident that the Voyager 2 probe will stay on its planned trajectory despite the recent communication disruption. The agency's dish in Canberra, Australia, was actively attempting to detect any signals from Voyager 2, and on Monday, a faint "heartbeat" signal was heard.

Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managing the Voyager missions, explained that the antenna was bombarding the probe's area with the correct command in hopes of reestablishing contact. Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its position regularly to keep its antenna oriented towards Earth, with the next reset scheduled for October 15.

Both Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, are the only spacecraft to venture beyond the heliosphere, the Sun's protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields. Voyager 2 is unique in having explored Neptune and Uranus, while Voyager 1 currently holds the title of humanity's most distant spacecraft, nearly 15 billion miles away from Earth.

Even after their power runs out, which is expected sometime after 2025, the Voyagers will continue their journey through space.