I wonder how it is secured, or could anyone with a big enough transmitter reprogram it at will…
You may be interested in learning about its downlink: https://destevez.net/2021/09/decoding-voyager-1/
I think the security is adequately managed by the need for a massive transmitter as well as the question “what is there to gain via a hostile takeover and re-programming the probe?”
I bet there’s actual security of some kind going on, but those two points seem like a massive hurdle to clear just to mess with a deep space probe.
what is there to gain via a hostile takeover and re-programming the probe
“We did it for the lulz”.
Modern satellites are protected by various means of encryption, but there’s an enthusiast community that tracks down and communicates with very old unencrypted zombie satellites. There’s even been an NGO which managed to fire rockets on an abandoned NASA/ESA probe (with their approval.)
The Voyagers benefits primarily from the lack of groups with an adequate deep space network to communicate with it. Their communication standards are otherwise completely open and well documented.
“Yeah, I always leave my car unlocked with the keys inside. I also always park it in the center of a lake.”
