Space & Astronomy

Man-made object to become first in history to travel a single light-day

By T.K. Randall
June 22, 2025 ·  1 comment

An artist's impression of Voyager 1. Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech In 2026, one of NASA's most iconic spacecraft will make history by becoming the first man-made object to travel a full light-day - a staggering 25.9 billion kilometers.

The spacecraft in question is none other than Voyager 1 which launched almost 50 years ago.

Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have traveled further from the Earth than any other man-made object in history and remain operational despite decades of traveling through space.

Their original mission to visit the four gas giants was made possible by a rare planetary configuration that happens only once every 175 years - an opportunity that NASA couldn't afford to miss.But even one light-day is just the beginning of Voyager 1's trek through the cosmos.

In another 40,000 years and having spent millennia silently gliding through the vast emptiness of interstellar space, the spacecraft will pass within 1.7 light-years of the star AC +79 3888 which is situated 17.6 light-years from Earth.

After that, it will continue on its epic journey through the galaxy, possibly outliving even humanity itself.

It is perhaps comforting to know that, even if the human race goes extinct in the future, the greatest voyager in history will still be out there - silently exploring the stars until the end of time.

Source: Daily Galaxy | Comments (1)

Tags: Voyager