// Probe

Voyager 1

Distance from Earth right now

…

calculated live from orbital data (NASA/JPL)

Distance (approx., 2026)

≈ 172 AU (≈ 26 billion km)

Launched

September 5, 1977

Antenna diameter

3.7 m (antenna)

Speed

≈ 17 km/s relative to the Sun

Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object from Earth. Since August 25, 2012, it has been in interstellar space, beyond the Sun's heliosphere — the first probe ever to get there. Onboard is the 'Golden Record', a gold-plated phonograph record carrying sounds, music and greetings from Earth, in case the probe is ever found by extraterrestrial intelligence. Its three radioisotope generators still supply enough power to run some instruments until roughly 2025–2030, after which the probe will fly on in silence. A radio signal now takes over 23 hours for the one-way trip to Earth. The position shown here is approximate — the probe keeps moving farther away (~3.6 AU per year).

Orbital data: NASA/JPL Horizons. Photos: Wikimedia Commons.