Launched in September 1977, Voyager 1 was sent to Space to study Jupiter and Saturn. NASA’s probe has long passed these planets and reaches a historical distance on November 18, 2026.
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HIt has been almost 50 years since the Voyager 1 probe continues to travel through space and, even though it has long surpassed NASA’s expectations since it was launched in September 1977, it seems that this mission will soon establish a historical mark.
Traveling more than 61,000 km/h, it is believed that on November 18, 2026 Voyager will reach the mark of a distance of 25.9 billion kilometers from our planet – which corresponds to a light-day.
To get an idea of this distance, this means that if a probe were sent traveling at the speed of light towards Voyager 1, it would take 24 hours to reach its goal. In practical terms, this means that every command given to Voyager 1 from Earth must wait two days for the probe to receive this order.
It is important to remember that, over Voyager’s nearly 50-year journey, several instruments on board have already been deactivated to save the probe’s energy. However, Voyager 1 continues to operate and help NASA scientists and researchers study deep space.
“ The important thing is to keep these scientific instruments operating as long as possible to map the changes that occur as we move away from the Sun.”, explained to CNN One of the scientists associated with the project, Suzy Dodd.
Another member of the Voyager 1, Kareem Badaruddin mission, explained to the publication that, aboard the probe, there are still two scientific instruments working: one dedicated to hearing plasma waves and another capable of measuring magnetic fields.
“ They’re still working very well, sending data from a region of space that no other human ship has ever explored. The team remains focused on keeping Voyager 1 operational for as long as possible.”, explained Badaruddin.
Remember that Voyager 1 was launched to study Jupiter and Saturn and passed through this last planet in November 1980. However, in 2012, the probe crossed the boundary that separates the Solar System from the Interstellar Space, thus crossing a border where it no longer had solar wind.