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Interstellar Mission

Voyager 1

Voyager 1 reached interstellar space in August 2012 and is the most distant human-made object in existence.

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Voyager 1 Foreground

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

Sept. 5, 1977

Type

Flyby Spacecraft

Target

Interstellar Space

Status

Current

About the mission

Voyager 1 reached interstellar space in August 2012 and is the most distant human-made object in existence. Launched just shortly after its twin spacecraft, Voyager 2, in 1977, Voyager 1 explored the Jovian and Saturnian systems discovering new moons, active volcanoes and a wealth of data about the outer solar system.

Voyagers 1 and 2 were designed to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment that occurs only once in 176 years and remain the most well traveled spacecraft in history. Both spacecraft carry a sort of time capsule called the Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the story of our world to extraterrestrials.

Instruments

  • Imaging system
  • Infrared interferometer spectrometer
  • Ultraviolet spectrometer
  • Triaxial fluxgate magnetometer
  • Plasma spectrometer
  • Low-energy charged particles detectors
  • Cosmic Ray System (CRS)
  • Photopolarimeter System (PPS)
  • Plasma Wave System (PWS)

Mission Highlights

Sept. 1, 2013

September 2013: After intensive analysis, mission scientists determine that Voyager 1 reached interstellar space in August 2012.
Interstellar target graphic

Interactive 3D model of Voyager 1. View the full interactive experience at Eyes on the Solar System.

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› Mission Website
› Fact Sheet
› JPL History
› Voyager 1 Information on Solar System Exploration
› NASA Mission Page
› Voyager 2 Information on National Space Science Data Center

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