Science & Tech · Space · 5 hrs ago
Voyager 1 is set to reach one light-day from Earth
NASA’s Voyager 1 is set to reach one light-day from Earth on November 18, a distance of 25.9 billion kilometres.
A light-day is how far light travels in 24 hours, so a signal will take a full day to reach the spacecraft and another day for a reply to get back.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 has travelled farther from Earth than any other human-built object.
Its original mission was to explore the outer solar system, using close passes by planets to gather data and gain speed.
It was the first spacecraft to leave the solar system’s protective bubble and is now exploring interstellar space, where its data can reveal places no spacecraft has studied before.
Its cameras and measurements have helped scientists understand the outer planets and moons, and inspired later missions.
Voyager 1 is still sending back new data, and scientists continue to study what it finds.
Voyager 1 is set to become the first spacecraft to reach one light-day from Earth on November 18.
At that distance, light—and signals from Earth—will take 24 hours to reach the spacecraft, with another day needed for a reply.
The milestone distance is 25.9 billion kilometers, more than four times the distance from the Sun to Pluto.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 has explored the outer solar system and continues to send data from interstellar space.
Scientists say the continuing data offers discoveries from regions no one has explored before.
- Who
- NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft.
- What
- It is set to become the first spacecraft to reach one light-day from Earth.
- When
- November 18 at 5:16:07 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
- Where
- 25.9 billion kilometers from Earth, in interstellar space.
- Why
- Voyager 1 is traveling outward from the solar system; the article does not state a specific reason for this milestone.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Voyager 1 launched.
Voyager 1 became the farthest human-built object from Earth, overtaking Pioneer 10’s path.
Voyager 1 left the solar system for interstellar space.
Voyager 1 is set to reach one light-day from Earth.
- Milestone
- First spacecraft to reach one light-day from Earth
- Target date and time
- November 18 at 5:16:07 a.m. Eastern Standard Time
- Distance from Earth
- 25.9 billion kilometers
- Light travel time
- 24 hours each way
- Launch year
- 1977
What people are saying
I just never imagined [the mission] would last that long.
Every day, it’s in places nobody’s ever explored before.