NASA has detected a signal from the Voyager 2 spacecraft after it temporarily lost contact last week.

The agency believes a wrong command may have caused the disconnect, but it's still investigating the cause.

Voyager 2 is one of two historic probes launched in 1977 to explore the solar system and beyond.

The spacecraft is currently more than 11 billion miles from Earth and continues to send back scientific data.

NASA said it's working to resume normal operations as soon as possible.

While NASA has identified a possible cause for the signal loss, it remains a mystery why the wrong command was sent in the first place.

Some experts have speculated that a software bug or glitch may have caused the error.

Others have suggested that the spacecraft may be showing signs of age-related degradation, despite its long-lasting and resilient design.

Whatever the cause, the incident is a reminder of the challenges and difficulties of operating a spacecraft billions of miles from home.

One of the biggest concerns about the signal loss is the potential loss of scientific data.

Voyager 2 is studying the interstellar medium - the space between the stars - and the heliosphere, the region of space influenced by the Sun's magnetic field.

These are crucial areas of research that could provide insights into the origins and evolution of the solar system and the universe.

If Voyager 2 is unable to resume normal operations, it could set back these studies by years or even decades.