In 1977, NASA sent two spacecraft into space on an exploration mission unlike any other. The Voyager 1 and 2 were sent to explore the outer boundaries of our solar system and beyond. And it’s just been announced that after nearly 8 years in space, Voyager has made a horrifying discovery! Click through to learn more about this terrifying new discovery from the final frontier and what it means for all of us here at home.
The Time Machine – Carl Sagan
The spacecraft will be on the other side of the Sun from us, in interstellar space. Even at that distance, it will take radio signals—which move at the speed of light—17 hours to reach Earth. If a signal is sent from Earth on January 1st 2000 and you start counting 17 hours afterwards, the spacecraft receives it on January 18th. In order for those 17 hours to pass for us here on Earth, we must wait until July 18th.
What Scientists Found On Voyager
The probe is now a little over 11 billion miles from Earth. The spacecraft has been sending information home for 45 years. On Friday morning, NASA announced that the probe had reached interstellar space. Scientists found that it exited our solar system on September 12th of last year. The probe is now in the Heliosheath — the outermost layer of our sun’s atmosphere. But scientists have discovered something terrifying about this part of space: it’s filled with particles and radiation from other stars and galaxies.
The Journey So Far
Since its launch in 1977, the Voyager 2 space probe has been one of NASA’s most successful missions. It has traveled over 13 billion miles and visited Jupiter and Saturn before crossing into interstellar space. Now, after 45 years in space, it has made a new discovery that could change the world forever. We have not heard from them since 2013 when they were 1.7 billion miles away from Earth. Now, for some reason unknown to us, we are hearing from them again with no explanation as to why or what happened to make this happen.
The Two Spacecrafts – Voyagers 1 and 2
Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977 by NASA. The two spacecrafts traveled on a mission to the outer solar system. Voyager 1 was launched on Sept. 5th and Voyager 2 was launched four days later on Sept. 9th. In 2012, both spacecrafts passed out of our solar system and into interstellar space where they are still exploring for planets or other objects orbiting other stars outside of our own solar system. In late December 2018, NASA finally announced that after 45 years of exploration in deep space, Voyager 1 reached interstellar space.
Voyager 2 has been traveling behind Voyager 1 since they left Earth, but it will catch up with its twin soon enough.
The twin Voyagers will explore different areas within interstellar space before moving back towards our solar system.
Their Missions
Voyager is a NASA space probe launched in 1977. It was the first to provide detailed images and scientific information about the four large planets of the outer solar system.
In September 2013, scientists discovered a new region of space where stars are born. The Hourglass nebula spans three light-years and is located 15,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Carina. It is estimated that it takes about 250 million years for material from this nebula to reach our solar system. Scientists were able to create an image of the nebula by combining data taken by two separate telescopes: Herschel and Hubble.
How Long Will They Last?
The distance between Earth and Voyager 1 is about 18.4 billion kilometers. With one light year equaling 9.5 trillion kilometers, it will take another 164 years for the spacecraft to reach the edge of our solar system. Once it gets there, it will start to explore interstellar space and eventually float out into the void of deep space where human hands may never touch it again.
We Could Have Lost Them Long Ago.
Voyager has been mapping space for the last 45 years and just announced that they have found a new object in the Kuiper Belt. The good news is that it is not on a collision course with Earth.
What’s the bad news? The object is estimated to be 4 times larger than Pluto and its orbit takes it out of our solar system periodically so we could have lost them long ago.
Where are They Now?
In 1977, NASA launched two probes into the depths of space: Voyager 1 and 2. These probes were equipped with a variety of instruments that allowed them to explore Jupiter and Saturn. After 45 years of exploration (and what seems like an eternity), Voyager 1 has detected an anomaly in space. Scientists from the University of Maryland have found that the probe is detecting interstellar matter which is matter that originated outside our solar system. The presence of this interstellar matter suggests that it will likely collide with one or both probes.
FAQ
Will Voyager 1 die?
NASA’s 1977-launched Voyager 1 is still going strong and continuously sending data back from the furthest regions of our solar system. It is difficult to forecast a spacecraft’s future, though, particularly if it has outlived its anticipated lifespan by several decades. The spacecraft’s plutonium-238 radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are its only source of power, and they gradually lose their capacity. Certain Voyager 1 systems and instruments may stop working as these power levels drop. The spaceship itself might not “die” in the traditional sense, but its capacity to interact with other people and carry out research will eventually deteriorate. Still, Voyager 1’s amazing voyage has already given us priceless new perspectives on our solar system, and its continuous mission will further our knowledge of interstellar space. It continues to be a monument to human curiosity and inventiveness.
Will Voyager 1 leave the Milky Way?
There is no plan for Voyager 1 to depart the Milky Way galaxy. The spacecraft’s main goal upon launch by NASA in 1977 was to investigate the outer planets of our solar system. Following the accomplishment of its primary mission goals, Voyager 1 proceeded into interstellar space, where it was no longer subject to the gravitational attraction of our Sun. It is moving through the Milky Way, but not at the speed needed to break out from the gravitational pull of our galaxy. Because of the great distances involved and the limits of its propulsion technology, Voyager 1 is essentially unable to leave the Milky Way. However, as it moves away from Earth, the spacecraft is giving important information about the outer regions of our solar system and the properties of interstellar space.
Why hasn’t Voyager 1 crashed?
The main reason Voyager 1 has not crashed is that its careful planning and execution allowed it to pass through our solar system without coming into contact with any celestial bodies. NASA launched Voyager 1 in 1977 with the goal of investigating planets beyond our solar system, including Jupiter and Saturn. Its trajectory was meticulously predicted after these interactions to prevent collisions with any celestial entities. Following the conclusion of its primary mission, Voyager 1 proceeded towards interstellar space. Voyager 1’s course was designed to ensure it would safely travel beyond the farthest regions of our solar system and into interstellar space, in contrast to missions that entail landing on or orbiting celestial planets. Voyager 1’s navigational accuracy and the lack of obstructions on its well-planned course contributed to the project’s success by enabling it to continue its exploration mission without running the risk of colliding with any celestial bodies.
Can we get Voyager 1 back?
It is not possible to recover Voyager 1 and return it to Earth because of the great distances required and the limitations of available space exploration capabilities. NASA launched Voyager 1 in 1977, and it has already reached interstellar space, a vast distance beyond the boundaries of our solar system. The spacecraft is traveling away from Earth at an incredible rate of speed. Through the Deep Space Network, scientists are able to stay in contact with Voyager 1 and obtain important data from its equipment. However, considering its current location and the technological limitations of our space exploration capabilities, retrieving the actual spacecraft would take an unfeasible amount of time, energy, and resources. Although Voyager 1 cannot be physically returned to Earth, it still serves as a monument to human ingenuity and discovery, offering insightful information about the far reaches of our cosmic neighborhood.
Is Voyager 1 or 2 farther?
In actuality, Voyager 2 is farther away from Earth than Voyager 1. Voyager 2 was launched in 1977 ahead of Voyager 1, but it took a different path that allowed it to visit Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus on its extensive journey around the outer planets. Voyager 2’s trajectory resulted in a greater detour, and as a result, it is currently positioned differently from Voyager 1 with respect to the Sun. Currently outside the gravitational pull of our Sun, both spacecraft are in interstellar space, however Voyager 2 is farther away from Earth due to its different trajectory.
How old is Voyager 1?
Voyager 1, on September 5, 2023, will be 46 years old. On September 5, 1977, NASA launched it from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The main goal of Voyager 1 was to investigate Jupiter and Saturn as well as the outer planets of our solar system. Upon accomplishing its primary goals, the spacecraft proceeded into interstellar space, marking the first instance of a human-made object doing so. Voyager 1 has contributed significantly to our knowledge of the outermost regions of the solar system and beyond over the years by continuing to send crucial data on the conditions in interstellar space. Even after all these years, Voyager 1 is still a magnificent example of how robust and long-lasting well-designed space probes can be.
