Imagine still being on the Voyager team in 2023. Probably just a skeleton crew. I wonder how many people are still paid to be on that project full-time.

Also, imagine how attached they have grown to that cozy little spacecraft by now, the sort-of-mystical vibe they must feel at real-time monitoring the furthest humanity has ever physically been from Earth. Going to the office must be like having comfort food every day.

Finally, imagine the relief at making contact now, instead of having to wait until October for Voyager to do its’ next periodic, automated re-alignment towards Earth, “phoning home” so to speak; with the uncertainty over, now both the craft and the team live to continue operating one more time.