Voyager has left the Solar System – NASA

When 36 years ago Voyager 1 was launched for a four year mission to study Saturn in 1977, the technology it carried was laughable by today’s standards. It had an 8 track tape recorder, a very basic model of an i-phone and computers with extremely low memory capacities.  However this little outdated space shuttle has out performed its creator’s wildest fantasies by become the first man made object to formally leave the Solar System.

After considerable debate to decide what actually were the boundaries of the Solar System the Voyager Mission team leaders finally claimed that the space craft had crossed into the abyss of interstellar space in mid September 2013. There had been no hope that the small craft would make it so far and everything it has achieved after crossing Saturn is taken as a huge bonus by the scientists.

Incidentally 1977 was also the year that “Star Wars” was released. One can just hear the title track say, “in a galaxy far far away,”as the Voyager rolls out into space. Making science fiction fact is what NASA and the space exploration program is all about. And this new feat is sure to engage another generation of eager new scientists ready to prove their mettle with new science projects in the era of space exploration.