Voyager 1 & 2: Current Location & Mission Status

How Far Have Voyager 1 & 2 Traveled?

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Published in 12-30-2024

NASA photo. The Voyager spacecraft have been flying since 1977 and have explored many regions of our solar system. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are two space probes launched by NASA in 1977 with the mission of exploring the outer planets of the Solar System. After successfully completing their primary mission, these brave explorers continued their journey to the edges of the Solar System and beyond, venturing into interstellar space.

An epic journey
The Voyager journey has been an unprecedented odyssey. Taking advantage of a unique planetary alignment, both probes performed close flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, providing the first detailed images of these gas giants and their moons. Voyager 2 extended its mission to explore Uranus and Neptune, becoming the only probe to visit these distant icy worlds.

The Unbelievable Journey of Voyager 1 & 2

NASA photo. Engineers working on Voyager 2 in March 1977. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Revolutionary discoveries
The data sent back by the Voyagers have revolutionized our understanding of the Solar System. Among their most notable discoveries are:

1-Volcanism on Io: Jupiter's moon Io was revealed to be a volcanically active world, with hundreds of erupting volcanoes.
2-Rings of Uranus and Neptune: The Voyagers discovered ring systems around Uranus and Neptune, defying scientists' expectations.
3-Jupiter's Great Red Spot: The probes provided detailed observations of this iconic storm.
4-The heliosphere: By crossing the heliopause, the Voyagers entered interstellar space, a region where the influence of the Sun is increasing.

NASA photo.
The Voyager probes carry with them a treasure trove of information about Earth and humanity. Their purpose is, in essence, to be a representation of our planet if they are ever found by an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization.

The Golden Record
The most famous item carried by the Voyagers is a 30-centimeter-diameter gold phonograph record. This record contains a variety of sounds and images that represent the diversity of life and culture on Earth.

Music: From classical compositions to music from different cultures.
Greetings: Messages of peace and welcome in 55 different languages.
Sounds of nature: The song of whales, the sound of the wind, thunder, etc.
Images: Photographs of the Earth, human beings, nature, technology and science.

Graphic of the position of the Voyager 1 and 2 space probes. NASA photo.

Where are they now?
Both Voyagers are currently in interstellar space, billions of miles from Earth. Voyager 1, launched shortly after Voyager 2, is currently the farthest manmade object from Earth.

The graphic above shows the relative positions of NASA's most distant spacecraft.
Voyager 1 is the most distant spacecraft, about 15 billion miles from the Sun at an angle to the north.
Pioneer 10, the next in distance, is about 21 billion kilometers from the Sun on the opposite side of the solar system.
Voyager 2 is about 20 billion kilometers from the Sun, on a southerly path, on the same side of the solar system as Voyager 1.
Pioneer 11 is about 16.5 billion kilometers from the Sun.

Remember that Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 were pioneers in space exploration launched earlier in 1973, paving the way for future missions and expanding our knowledge of the universe. Communication with the Pioneers is no longer in effect today. Although we must say that communication with the Voyagers is about to end as well.

The Voyagers are more than just machines. They are ambassadors for humanity, carrying a message on a gold record with sounds and images from Earth. Its legacy will live on for centuries, serving as a reminder of our curiosity and our desire to explore the cosmos.