The Voyager 1 and 2 probes have been traveling through interstellar space for over 45 years, providing humanity with a unique glimpse into the cosmos. Launched in 1977, these robotic spacecraft were designed to study the four giant outer planets of our solar system, but they have far exceeded their original mission.
Through stunning images and scientific data, Voyager has revealed secrets about Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere, Uranus’ tilted magnetic field, Saturn’s dynamic rings, and Neptune’s Great Dark Spot. The probes also discovered 23 new moons and found that these moons were not the frozen worlds scientists initially thought they would be.
Today, both Voyager are still sending back data to NASA, including precise measurements of the interstellar medium. However, their nuclear batteries are running critically short, and experts predict that one or both probes will lose contact with Earth within the next five years.
Despite this, NASA is working to extend the mission by shutting down instruments and cameras to conserve electricity. The probes are now more than 15 billion miles away from Earth, passing through the heliopause and into interstellar space.
In their final stages, Voyager 1 will get relatively near a star in Camelopardalis in about 40,000 years, while Voyager 2 will approach a star in Andromeda around the same time. Both probes bear the “golden record” of human sounds, music, and a star map, which may one day be discovered by alien spacefarers.
With their unique mission nearing its end, the Voyager probes have become humanity’s ambassadors to the stars. As they continue to explore interstellar space, they will remain an enduring symbol of human curiosity and ingenuity.
Source: https://nautil.us/voyagers-ready-to-go-dark-1166780