Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from earth

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Voyager 1 Is About to Reach One Light-day from Earth

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Space
Voyager 1 Is About to Reach One Light-day from Earth

Piyush Gupta

Published November 25, 2025

5 Min Read

Artist’s concept of the Voyager 1 spacecraft speeding through interstellar space. (Image: NASA / JPL‑Caltech)

After nearly 50 years in space, NASA’s Voyager 1 is about to hit a historic milestone. By November 15, 2026, it will be 16.1 billion miles (25.9 billion km) away, meaning a radio signal will take a full 24 hours—a full light-day—to reach it. For context, a light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion km), so one light-day is just a tiny fraction of that.
Launched in 1977 to explore Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012, becoming the most distant human-made object ever. Traveling at around 11 miles per second (17.7 km/s), it adds roughly 3.5 astronomical units (the distance from Earth to the Sun) each year. Even after decades in the harsh environment of space, Voyager 1 keeps sending data thanks to its radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which will last into the 2030s.
Communicating with Voyager 1 is slow. Commands now take about a day to arrive, with another day for confirmation. Compare that to the Moon (1.3 seconds), Mars (up to 4 minutes), and Pluto (nearly 7 hours). The probe’s distance makes every instruction a patient exercise in deep-space operations. To reach our closest star, Proxima Centauri, even at light speed, would take over four years—showing just how tiny a light-day is in cosmic terms.

The ‘Pale Blue Dot’ image of Earth, captured by Voyager 1. (Image: NASA / Public Domain)
Voyager 1’s journey is more than a record for distance. From its planetary flybys to the iconic ‘Pale Blue Dot’ image, it reminds us of the vast scale of the solar system and the incredible endurance of a spacecraft designed to keep exploring, even without return.

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Voyager 1, launched in 1977 for exploration of Jupiter and Saturn, has achieved a significant milestone, poised to reach a distance of 16.1 billion miles (25.9 billion km) from Earth by November 15, 2026. This distance results in a communication delay of a full 24 hours – a light-day – for signals to travel to and from the spacecraft. This highlights the immense scale of space and the challenges associated with operating a probe so distant. A light-year, representing the distance light travels in a year (approximately 5.88 trillion miles), provides context; a light-day is a considerably smaller fraction of that.

The probe’s current velocity of approximately 11 miles per second (17.7 km/s) contributes to its increasing distance, accumulating approximately 3.5 astronomical units annually. Remarkably, despite nearly five decades in the harsh extraterrestrial environment, Voyager 1 continues to transmit data, sustained by radioisotope thermoelectric generators projected to function until the 2030s. This longevity underscores the engineering prowess involved in the mission.

Communication with Voyager 1 is characterized by its protracted nature. Commands currently require a day to reach the spacecraft and another day for confirmation, a stark contrast to the near-instantaneous communication with celestial bodies like the Moon (1.3 seconds) or Mars (up to 4 minutes). The probe’s remote location emphasizes the patience required within deep-space operations. The distance to Proxima Centauri, our closest star, would take over four years at light speed, emphasizing the vast cosmic distances involved.

The “Pale Blue Dot” image, captured by Voyager 1, symbolizes the scale of the solar system and the remarkable endurance of this spacecraft. The mission has primarily extended beyond simple planetary flybys, serving as a constant reminder of humanity’s enduring curiosity and technological capacity within the vastness of space, continuing to provide valuable data despite communication delays.