In space for 47 years!

“Voyager 1” already 25 billion kilometers from Earth

The NASA space probe "Voyager 1" has been racing through space for more than 47 years.(Bild: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

NASA's space probe "Voyager 1" recently passed the symbolic mark of 25 billion kilometers from Earth. This is according to the latest tracker data published live on the US space agency's website.

The data shows practically in real time how far the probe, which was launched more than 47 years ago on September 5, 1977, has already traveled from Earth, the speed at which it is traveling in space and how long it takes for its radio signal to reach Earth.

Radio signals take over 23 hours to reach Earth
Due to the enormous distance, the probe's radio signals have now been traveling for more than 23 hours, 12 minutes and 40 seconds. The slightly slower-flying "Voyager 2" - which was launched two months before "Voyager 1", but flies a little slower - is currently almost 20.8 billion kilometers from Earth and, thanks to its earlier launch, is the longest continuously operated probe in the history of space travel.

Although almost half a century has passed since the launch of "Voyager 1", four (of the original eleven, note) scientific instruments on board are still in operation and transmitting measurements to Earth. However, the age of the probe is becoming increasingly noticeable. There have been a number of incidents with the space probe in recent years. In the most recent incident to date, NASA even lost contact with it for some time.

The next milestone for "Voyager 1" will be a distance of one light day (that is 25.9 billion kilometers). This will be in January 2027 - almost fifty years after its launch. It is expected that the probe will still be operational at that time, although the engineers will probably have to switch off some of the four remaining scientific instruments because the radioisotope generators will be exhausted by then.

Probe has been hurtling through space since 1977
"Voyager 1" (traveler) was launched on September 5, 1977, while its twin probe "Voyager 2" was launched around two weeks earlier, on August 20. They hurtled through space at almost 61,200 kilometers per hour. With a distance of over 25 billion kilometers (as of 20 February) to our Earth, "Voyager 1" is the most distant messenger of mankind.

After 35 years in flight, the probe passed the boundary of our solar system, known as the heliopause, in August 2012 and entered interstellar space.

(Bild: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

In the extremely unlikely event that an alien civilization should encounter the earthly ambassador, the "Voyager" twins are carrying a gold-plated copper record with the title "Lute of the Earth" as well as a record player with instructions for playing the sound carrier (see picture above).