Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object ever launched. After leaving our Solar System and entering interstellar space, it continues to travel through the Milky Way at about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) per second.
In roughly 40,000 years, Voyager 1 is expected to pass within about 1.6 light-years of a distant star called Gliese 445. Although that sounds close on a cosmic scale, it is still trillions of kilometers away, meaning Voyager will not enter the star’s planetary system.
Attached to the spacecraft is the famous Golden Record, a time capsule containing sounds, music, greetings in dozens of languages, and images that represent life and culture on Earth. It was created as a message from humanity to any future discoverers.
Even long after its power systems stop working, Voyager 1 will continue drifting silently through the galaxy for millions of years, carrying a small piece of Earth’s story into the vast darkness of space.
VOYAGER 1: The Story of the Next 10 Trillion Years
