Facts about Voyager 1
- 09
Voyager 1's magnetometer detected a shockwave region called the heliopause in 2012, marking humanity's first direct measurement of where the Sun's magnetic influence ends and interstellar space begins.
- 08
Only 68 kilograms of hydrazine fuel remain aboard Voyager 1, yet engineers estimate enough propellant exists to control its trajectory until approximately 2040.
- 07
Voyager 1's cameras ceased operation in 1990 after photographing Neptune, yet five scientific instruments still function today to measure plasma, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays in interstellar space.
- 06
Saturn's moon Titan revealed a thick nitrogen atmosphere and liquid hydrocarbon lakes during Voyager 1's 1980 flyby, fundamentally reshaping scientists' understanding of planetary moons.
- 05
In 1980, Voyager 1 discovered that Jupiter's moon Io has active volcanoes, marking the first detection of extraterrestrial volcanism beyond Earth.
- 04
At 46 years old in 2023, Voyager 1 still transmits data to Earth across 14.5 billion miles using just 5 watts of power, less than a refrigerator light bulb.
- 03
Voyager 1's Voyager Interstellar Mission, beginning in 1990, was extended through 2026 to study the heliosphere and interstellar space using nine functioning scientific instruments.
- 02
The Golden Record aboard Voyager 1 contains 115 images and sounds from Earth, including greetings in 55 languages and Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode.
- 01
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 has traveled over 14.5 billion miles and remains humanity's most distant active spacecraft.