Voyager 1 lost? Where is NASA's spacecraft right now, and how long will it last?

NASA's nearly 50-year-old Voyager spacecraft are continuing their journey through interstellar space, but their ageing technology and declining power supplies are raising questions about how much longer they can operate. Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object from Earth, briefly lost communication with NASA in October 2026. However, the spacecraft's signal returned after 48 hours, and engineers have since re-established contact. The incident came as NASA was working to conserve its remaining power and extend the mission. Meanwhile, its twin, Voyager 2, is also travelling through interstellar space, more than 21 billion kilometres from Earth. Here's where Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are currently located, why Voyager 1 briefly went silent, and how much longer the two spacecraft could survive.

Is Voyager 1 lost? What happened to NASA's spacecraft?

No, Voyager 1 is not permanently lost. NASA temporarily lost contact with the spacecraft on October 18 and 19, 2026, after its Deep Space Network failed to detect a radio signal during two scheduled communication attempts. The incident was particularly concerning because Voyager 1 is operating approximately 16 billion miles (24 billion kilometres) from Earth, around 1 light day away (the distance light travels in 24 hours). At this distance, even a radio signal takes nearly 24 hours to travel in one direction.

NASA confirmed that the spacecraft's signal returned on October 20, restoring communication with the mission team. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, engineers discovered that one group of thrusters had gone offline and backup thrusters had automatically taken over. This triggered the spacecraft's fault protection system, which is designed to place it in a stable configuration when it detects a potential problem.


Engineers are investigating the incident and working to understand what caused the unexpected switch. The communication interruption came shortly after NASA completed a major power-saving operation on Voyager 1 in September 2026. The operation, nicknamed 'Big Bang', involved replacing three power-consuming devices with lower-power alternatives to extend the spacecraft's operational life.

Where is Voyager 1 right now? What is its current location?

Voyager 1 is currently in interstellar space, beyond the heliosphere, the enormous protective bubble created by the Sun's solar wind and magnetic field. NASA launched the spacecraft on September 5, 1977, to explore the outer planets. It travelled past Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980 before continuing its journey away from the Sun.

On August 25, 2012, Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause, the outer boundary of the heliosphere. It became the first human-made spacecraft to enter interstellar space.

As of November 2026, Voyager 1 is approximately 16 billion miles (24 billion kilometres) from Earth and continues to move farther away. On November 18, 2026, Voyager 1 is expected to reach approximately 16.09 billion miles (25.9 billion kilometres) from Earth. This is equivalent to one light-day, or the distance light travels in 24 hours. The spacecraft is travelling at approximately 38,000 miles per hour (61,155 kilometres per hour). It is moving in the general direction of the constellation Ophiuchus.

How long will Voyager 1 last?

Voyager 1 was originally designed for a much shorter mission. Yet, nearly five decades after its launch, the spacecraft continues to operate in an environment that no other active spacecraft has explored directly. However, its biggest challenge is running out of electrical power.

Voyager 1 gets its electricity from radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). These generators convert heat released by the radioactive decay of plutonium into electrical energy. The power supply gradually decreases as the plutonium decays. According to NASA, the spacecraft loses approximately four watts of electrical power every year.

This has forced engineers to switch off instruments and other non-essential systems to preserve the remaining electricity. NASA's September 2026 power-saving operation has bought the spacecraft additional time. The changes were designed to help its remaining scientific instruments operate longer than previously anticipated.

Without the operation, NASA expected to switch off another scientific instrument as early as summer 2027. There is no confirmed date for when Voyager 1 will stop functioning completely. Its scientific operations will eventually become impossible as the available power continues to decline.

NASA has previously estimated that the Voyager spacecraft could remain within the communication range of its Deep Space Network until approximately 2036, depending on their remaining power and ability to transmit signals. This means Voyager 1 could potentially continue communicating with Earth even after it can no longer conduct meaningful scientific observations.

Which instruments are still working on Voyager 1?

Voyager 1 originally carried 10 scientific instruments to study planets, magnetic fields, radiation and other conditions in space. Several instruments were switched off after completing their primary objectives or to conserve electricity. As of NASA's April 17, 2026 instrument-status update, two scientific instruments remained operational:

• Magnetometer (MAG): Measures magnetic fields in the surrounding space.
• Plasma Wave Subsystem (PWS): Detects plasma waves and helps scientists study the properties of interstellar plasma.

The spacecraft's cameras were switched off decades ago to conserve power. It can no longer capture photographs of the distant regions it is exploring. Despite these limitations, the remaining instruments continue to provide valuable information about the environment beyond the Sun's protective bubble.

What happens when Voyager 1 stops communicating with Earth?

When Voyager 1 eventually loses the ability to communicate with Earth, its journey will not necessarily come to an end. The spacecraft will continue travelling through interstellar space, even without receiving commands or transmitting scientific information.

It carries the famous Golden Record, a gold-plated copper disc containing sounds, music, images and greetings from Earth. The record was designed as a message for any potential extraterrestrial civilisation that might encounter the spacecraft.

NASA estimates that in approximately 40,272 AD, the spacecraft will pass within about 1.7 light-years of a star called AC+79 3888 in the constellation Ursa Minor. That is still thousands of years away. For now, NASA's engineers are focused on keeping humanity's most distant spacecraft operational for as long as possible.