NASA’s oldest probe, Voyager 2, is turning 45 at the solar system's edge

NASA’s oldest probe, Voyager 2, is turning 45 at the solar system's edge
Laura Baisas - Yesterday 4:00 PM




First launched in 1977, NASA's twin Voyager probe are the agency's longest-operating mission.



The year is 1977. Jimmy Carter is sworn in as President of the United States. Brazilian soccer star Pele plays his last game in Japan. Star Wars Episode IV- A New Hope is dazzling audiences with droids and lightsabers. And in space, NASA launches Voyager 2 on August 20. Voyager 1 quickly follows its twin probe on September 5, 1977.


The voyagers are still on the cutting-edge of space exploration and remain the only probes to ever explore interstellar space or the the galactic ocean that our sun and its planets travel through. Part of what makes the sun and its planets so difficult to investigate is the heliosphere. The heliosphere is a protective bubble created by the sun's magnetic field and an outward flow of charged particles from the sun called solar windHeading into their 45th year of space service, the Voyager probes are a bit of an interstellar time capsule. According to NASA, they each carry an eight-track tape player to record data, contain about 3 million times less memory than modern cellphones, and transmit that data about 38,000 times slower than a current day 5G internet connection.


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WE have proven we could leave the solar system.


We have not proven WE should.