Voyager 1 still lives

[syed putra]

Voyager 1 is now so far from Earth that a signal traveling at the speed of light takes more than 22 hours to reach it — so when engineers send a command, they can wait nearly two days to know whether the spacecraft responded​

Sending a command to Voyager 1 is closer to mailing a letter than placing a phone call.

By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published May 24, 2026

Sending a command to Voyager 1 is closer to mailing a letter than placing a phone call. The probe, launched in September 1977, is now roughly 16 billion miles from Earth, heading away from the Sun at roughly 38,000 miles per hour. In November 2026, Voyager 1 will become the first human-made object to pass one light-day from Earth — the distance at which that signal needs a full 24 hours, each way, to make the trip.