The Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, is expected to achieve a historic milestone on November 15, 2026. It will be one Earth ‘Light-Day’ away, approximately 16 billion miles from Earth.
Voyager 1’s journey through space
Voyager 1 was launched to study Jupiter and Saturn. It crossed the edge of the solar system in 2012. Currently, it travels at a speed of 38,000 mph into deep interstellar space.
As of now, Voyager 1 has been traveling for almost 50 years. It is powered by a tiny nuclear battery and continues to send back faint data.
Understanding Light-Day distance
Light travels at about 300,000 km per second. In 24 hours, it covers one ‘light-day,’ which is roughly 16 billion miles. This distance signifies a new boundary in human exploration.
On January 28, 2027, Voyager 1 will reach a full light-day from the Sun. After that, it will continue its journey into interstellar space, carrying humanity’s first physical footprint in the galaxy.
