When Voyager 1, one of humanity’s earliest space missions, set out in 1977, its goal was not solely to photograph planets; this spacecraft took the first human-made step into interstellar space. Even after its mission ended, it continued its journey, crossing the Heliosphere and heading toward the outer boundaries of the Solar System, and is now approximately 168 AU away from Earth.
Voyager 1 travels at a speed of about 61.195 kilometers per hour. It takes approximately 23 hours 19 minutes 9 seconds for its signal to reach Earth. If it continues at this speed, it will surpass the entire “light-day” distance from Earth within a year, and its communication delay will extend to 24 hours. Although it is thought that the spacecraft will cease operation due to fuel depletion in the 2030s, its adventure will not be limited to a technical end. In front of the explored paths lies the Oort Cloud, extending into a region not fully discovered yet.
The Oort Cloud is believed to be a vast zone located beyond the Sun’s gravitational boundaries. Proposed by Jan Oort in 1950, this structure has a starting point around 1000 AU and includes the hypothesis that short-period comets originate from the inner regions, while long-period comets come from the outer regions. Reaching its inner boundary will take approximately 300 years for Voyager, while fully leaving the cloud is expected to take around 30,000 years according to NASA.
If the journey plans remain unaffected, Voyager 1 is expected to travel through interstellar space for millions of years. However, it is also suggested that it will not remain alone during this long period: in about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will approach the red dwarf star Gliese 445, reaching a point closer than the Sun. Gliese 445 will be located about 17,000 light-years away, and this projection is supported by models of future interstellar interactions.
Scientists indicate that if a spacecraft moves at escape velocity from the Solar System, there is approximately a 1 in 50,000 chance of encountering a star over the course of about 50,000 years. However, most of these encounters will not involve collisions or captures. It is projected that Voyager will come within approximately 0.965 light-years of the main sequence star TY C 3135-52-1 in about 303,000 years, and such close approaches are not considered to pose serious danger. Research suggests that the probability of such an encounter happening at even one in a hundred billion level, considering the universe’s time scales, is very remote.
In conclusion, the Golden Record, remaining as the only close travel companion throughout Voyager 1’s journey, will stand as the sole sign carrying information about Earth to potential future civilizations or life forms. While offering a broad portrait of humanity, this record will also be remembered as a symbol of a solitary adventure in the infinite expanse of space.
