Voyager 1: A Journey to the Edge and Beyond

Forty-eight years ago today, NASA launched a spacecraft that would redefine our understanding of the solar system and our place within it: Voyager 1.

A Milestone Mission

Launched on September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 embarked on a mission to explore the outer planets. It has since become humanity's most distant outpost, venturing into interstellar space.

Unprecedented Distances

Currently, the spacecraft is over 168 Astronomical Units (AU) from Earth. To put this into perspective, it's traveling at a speed that will see it one light-day away from us in November 2026. For comparison, humans have only journeyed about 1.3 light-seconds from our home planet. It's a distance that truly boggles the mind.

A Legacy of Discovery

Voyager 1, along with its twin Voyager 2 (which launched earlier and has also achieved interstellar status), carries a Golden Record containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. These enduring messages are a testament to human curiosity and our desire to reach out into the cosmos.

The Journey Continues

Voyager 1's mission is a prime example of pushing the boundaries of what's possible in space exploration, inspiring generations and continuing to send back invaluable data from the vast expanse beyond our solar system.