Voyager 1 is expected to keep its current suite of science instruments on through 2021. Voyager 2 is expected to keep its current suite of science instruments on through 2020. Even if science data won’t likely be collected after 2025, engineering data could continue to be returned for several more years.

Is Voyager 1 still active today?

Launched 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2, Voyager 1 has been operating for 44 years, 2 months and 1 day as of November 7, 2021 UTC [refresh], and still communicates with the Deep Space Network to receive routine commands and to transmit data to Earth.

What planet is Voyager 1 closest to 2021?

Jupiter
Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter. Highlights of the encounter include the discoveries of the first active volcanoes spotted beyond Earth at the moon Io (discovered on March 9 in optical navigation images), the Jovian ring system and two moons (Thebe and Metis).

Has Voyager 1 enter interstellar space?

Until recently, every spacecraft in history had made all of its measurements inside our heliosphere, the magnetic bubble inflated by our Sun. But on Aug. 25, 2012, NASA’s Voyager 1 changed that. As it crossed the heliosphere’s boundary, it became the first human-made object to enter – and measure – interstellar space.

When did Voyager 1 leave the Earth?

When Voyager 1 left Earth in 1977, nobody was certain where the heliopause was, according to Bill Kurth, an astrophysicist at the University of Iowa who has been working with Voyager 1 since before it launched.

Is NASA still in contact with Voyager 1?

As noted, both ships are still in contact with NASA and sending back mission data. The Voyager 1 probe, as of the writing of this article, is about 20.9 billion km (13 billion mi; 140 AU) from Earth.

What is the mission of Voyager 1?

The primary mission of Voyager 1 was to explore Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn’s moon, Titan. Voyager 2 was also to explore Jupiter and Saturn, but on a trajectory that would have option of continuing on to Uranus and Neptune , or being redirected to Titan as a backup for Voyager 1.

What was the purpose of Voyager 1?

Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA in 1977 as a part of voyager program whose main objective was to study the outer solar system. Primary mission of Voyager 1 was to study Jupiter, Saturn, Titan and other moons of these 2 planets.

How fast is NASA’s Voyager 1 traveling in mph?

Voyager 1 is traveling faster, at a speed of about 17 kilometers per second (38,000 mph), compared to Voyager 2’s velocity of 15 kilometers per second (35,000 mph). In the next few years, scientists expect Voyager 2 to encounter the same kind of phenomenon as Voyager 1.