Farther than any other
How a spacecraft launched in 1977 became an interstellar messenger.
Voyager 1 was designed to explore Jupiter and Saturn. Decades after launch, it kept traveling beyond the region where the solar wind dominates its surroundings.
The planets were only the beginning
Voyager 1 encountered Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980. Gravity assists helped it explore both planetary systems and continue onto an outward trajectory.
Beyond the heliosphere
In August 2012, Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause — the boundary where the solar wind gives way to the interstellar environment. This does not mean it has crossed every possible boundary of the solar system.
A record from Earth
Each Voyager carries a Golden Record: a gold-plated disc holding images, music and sounds of our home planet. It is both a technical artifact and a symbol of human curiosity.
The machine ages. The questions it carries last longer.