GoKawiilVoyager 1 to reach one light-day from Earth on Nov. 18
NASA says Voyager 1 will cross one light-day from Earth—about 16.1 billion miles—at 5:16 a.m. ET on Nov. 18, making it the most distant human-made object ever. The probe, launched in the 1970s, has traveled at roughly 37,763 mph since a 1980 Saturn flyby. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently shut down several onboard systems and activated lower-power alternatives in an effort called 'The Big Bang' to conserve its dwindling power supply.
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The milestone underscores how NASA has managed to keep a nearly 50-year-old spacecraft operational far beyond its original mission life through careful power management. The ongoing system shutdowns suggest the mission team is bracing for eventual power loss, which could determine how much longer Voyager 1 can keep transmitting data from interstellar space.
- Voyager 1 will become the farthest human-made object at one light-day from Earth on Nov. 18.
- NASA recently powered down several instruments to conserve energy, an effort called 'The Big Bang.'
- The spacecraft has maintained roughly 37,763 mph since a gravity assist from Saturn in 1980.
NASA Voyager Golden Record poster — Celebrate Voyager 1's incredible journey with a print of the iconic Golden Record carried aboard the spacecraft, a tangible piece of space history for your wall. It's a great way for space enthusiasts to commemorate this historic light-day milestone and the enduring legacy of NASA's farthest-traveling probe.
See NASA Voyager Golden Record poster on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: cnet.com — Joe Hindy, 2026-11-09
Published there as: “NASA’s Voyager 1 to Cross Historic One Light-Day Milestone on Nov. 18”
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