Voyager 1 to reach one light-day distance from Earth on November 18
The NASA spacecraft will be 16.09 billion miles away from Earth, marking a milestone for the farthest human-made object in space.
NASA’s Voyager 1 is expected to reach a distance of 16.09 billion miles (25.89 billion kilometres) from Earth on November 18, according to the Hindustan Times. At this distance, the spacecraft will cross the one light-day mark, meaning light will take 24 hours to travel between Earth and the probe.
The spacecraft, which was launched 49 years ago, is currently travelling at a speed of 28,000 mph. It was the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space in August 2012, while its twin, Voyager 2, entered in December 2018.
Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched in 1977 during a planetary alignment of Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune. While Voyager 2 explored all four giant planets, Voyager 1 is heading towards the star Gliese 445, located more than 17 light-years from Earth.
The twin probe, Voyager 2, is expected to cross the one light-day mark in November 2035. Both spacecraft carry a Golden Record, a 12-inch copper disc with gold plating containing sounds, images, and greetings from Earth.
The probe recently experienced a communication issue in October when the Deep Space Network did not receive a signal on October 18 and 19. However, Voyager 1 re-established communication on October 20, and no further disruptions have been reported since.