Voyager 1 (1977)

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to enter interstellar space in 2012, crossing the heliopause at a distance of 18.6 billion kilometres from Earth. As of 2026 it remains operational at over 23 billion km away, transmitting data back with a radio signal that takes 22+ hours to reach Earth. The spacecraft carries the Golden Record — a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray life on Earth.