The flight team dug up decades-old data and examined software coded in assembler language in order to figure out how to use thrusters that were designed for use during planetary flybys (i.e. Saturn in 1980). The Thursters were then reconfigure to help align the Voyager’s antenna’s to continue to point toward Earth thereby adding a few more years of life to this amazing piece of engineering.”
via Voyager 1 Just Fired Up Its Backup Thrusters For The First Time In 37 Years | Gizmodo Australia.