Human-made object to exit Solar System for the first time | News

Earth (WDAM) - For the first time in the history of the human species a human-created object will soon escape the Solar System and head into interstellar space, scientists report.

Voyager 1, a spacecraft built by NASA with the input of astronomer Carl Sagan, was launched into space in 1977 and has been traveling away from Earth for 35 years at 6.2 miles-per-second.

Scientists said last week that the craft is now over 11 billion miles away, still sending back data via radio transmissions which take 16 hours to reach our planet, and would be crossing the edge of the heliosheath soon. The heliosheath is the final layer of a magnetic barrier generated by our home star, Sol, also known as the Sun. The heliosheath extends far past the most distant planet from Sol, Neptune.

Voyager 1 was launched along with Voyager 2 a decade after humans first walked on the moon. Each craft has studies the planets of our star system before heading away. Each craft carries a golden record with audio and images from our planet should it ever be discovered by intelligent life.

Copyright 2012 WDAM. All rights reserved.