Voyager 1 to reach a one-light-day milestone in 2026
2 days ago
- #space exploration
- #NASA
- #Voyager 1
- Voyager 1 will reach a milestone in late 2026, becoming the first spacecraft to be one light day away from Earth.
- The speed of light (186,000 miles per second) is the fastest possible speed, causing noticeable delays in space communication.
- Delays in communication were first publicly noticed during the Apollo Moon landings, with a 2.6-second delay between Earth and the Moon.
- Communication delays increase with distance: up to four minutes for Mars, 52 minutes for Jupiter, and 6.8 hours for Pluto.
- Deep space missions require autonomous spacecraft due to these communication delays.
- Voyager 1, launched in 1977, continues to function despite its age and harsh conditions, powered by a nuclear source expected to last another year.
- Currently, Voyager 1 is 15.7 billion miles from Earth, with a one-way communication delay of nearly 24 hours.
- By November 2026, Voyager 1 will be 16.1 billion miles away, making the communication delay a full 24 hours.
- Voyager 2 is closer, at 19.5 light hours away.
- Both Voyager probes remain in contact via NASA's Deep Space Network, but commands to Voyager 1 will soon take two days to acknowledge.