Technology

After nearly fifty years, Voyager 1 spacecraft approaches one light-day milestone — 25.9 billion km distance from Earth ensures one day of latency for commands

Source

Tom's Hardware

Published

Nov 28, 2025

TL;DR

AI Generated

Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object from Earth, is nearing a significant milestone of being one light-day away from us, traveling at over 37,000 miles per hour. Launched by NASA in 1977, it has been exploring deep space and is currently powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators expected to last until the 2030s. Despite its vast journey, Voyager 1's distance is still minimal compared to the universe's scale, with the nearest star Proxima Centauri being four light-years away. The spacecraft carries a golden record in hopes of potential contact with extraterrestrial civilizations in the distant future.

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