Right now, signals from Earth take 23 hours and 9 minutes just to reach Voyager 1—and the same amount of time to hear back. That’s how far it’s traveled!
Looking ahead, Voyager 1’s next major milestone is approaching:
By January 2027, it’s expected to be one light-day away from the Sun—about 25.9 billion kilometers—just in time for the 50th anniversary of its launch.
Though it may still be operating then, engineers might need to shut down some of its instruments as its power supply continues to fade.
To put it all into perspective:
The nearest star to us, Proxima Centauri, is still 4.24 light-years away. At Voyager 1’s current speed, it would take around 74,000 years to get there!
Incredible, isn’t it? A tiny probe launched in 1977 is still making history.
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