Voyager 1 Nears One Light-Day Distance from Earth, Historic Milestone | Quick Digest
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is approaching a historic milestone, set to become the first human-made object one light-day away from Earth by November 2026. This means radio signals will take a full 24 hours to travel one-way.
Voyager 1 projected to reach one light-day distance by November 2026.
This milestone signifies a one-way radio signal travel time of 24 hours.
The spacecraft has travelled nearly 50 years since its 1977 launch.
Voyager 1 is currently the most distant human-made object from Earth.
It continues to send back unique data from interstellar space.
The distance is approximately 16 billion miles (25.9 billion km).
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, is rapidly approaching an unprecedented cosmic milestone: it is set to become the first human-made object to reach a distance of one light-day from Earth. This significant event is projected to occur by November 2026. A 'light-day' refers to the distance light travels in a full 24-hour period, which is approximately 16 billion miles (25.9 billion kilometers). As of January 2026, the one-way light time for signals from Voyager 1 to reach Earth is already around 23 hours and 42 minutes, steadily increasing as the probe ventures further into interstellar space.
Since its launch almost five decades ago, Voyager 1 has continually redefined humanity's understanding of our solar system's boundaries and the interstellar medium beyond. It crossed the heliopause in 2012, marking its entry into interstellar space, and continues to transmit invaluable scientific data on cosmic rays, magnetic fields, and plasma waves, despite communication challenges due to its immense distance and diminishing power supply. This upcoming milestone underscores the extraordinary longevity and ingenuity of the Voyager mission, representing humanity's farthest reach into the cosmos and providing unique insights into the universe beyond our sun's influence.
Read the full story on Quick Digest