Space probe that can travel out of the Solar System
Spacecraft that have left or are about to leave the Solar System are depicted as square boxesStars are literally moving targets on the time scales current technology might reach them
An interstellar probe is a space probe that has left—or is expected to leave—the Solar System and enter interstellar space, which is typically defined as the region beyond the heliopause. It also refers to probes capable of reaching other star systems.
As of 2024, there are five interstellar probes, all launched by the American space agency NASA: Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11 and New Horizons. Also as of 2023, Voyager 1, Voyager 2 and Pioneer 10 are the only probes to have actually reached interstellar space.[1] The other two are on interstellar trajectories.
The termination shock is the point in the heliosphere where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speed. Even though the termination shock happens as close as 80–100 AU (astronomical units) the maximum extent of the region in which the Sun's gravitational field is dominant (the Hill sphere) is thought to be at around 230,000 astronomical units (3.6 light-years).[2] This point is close to the nearest known star system, Alpha Centauri, located 4.36 light years away. Although the probes will be under the influence of the Sun for a long time, their velocities far exceed the Sun's escape velocity, so they are leaving forever.
Interstellar space is defined as the space beyond a magnetic region that extends about 122 AU from the Sun, as detected by Voyager 1, and the equivalent region of influence surrounding other stars. Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012.[3]
Currently, three projects are under consideration: Chinese Interstellar Express, NASA's Interstellar Probe, and StarChip from the Breakthrough Initiatives.
^"NASA's Eyes". NASA's Eyes. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
^Chebotarev, G.A. (1964), "Gravitational Spheres of the Major Planets, Moon and Sun", Soviet Astronomy, 7 (5): 618–622, Bibcode:1964SvA.....7..618C
^"NASA Voyager 1 Encounters New Region in Deep Space". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
and 23 Related for: Interstellar probe information
An interstellarprobe is a space probe that has left—or is expected to leave—the Solar System and enter interstellar space, which is typically defined...
A Bracewell probe is a hypothetical concept for an autonomous interstellar space probe dispatched for the express purpose of communication with one or...
medium Interstellar travel Interstellar communication InterstellarprobeInterstellarProbe (spacecraft) (ISP), a NASA probe proposed in 2018 for launch...
is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System and the interstellar space beyond...
Voyager program is an American scientific program that employs two interstellarprobes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage...
Interstellar travel is the hypothetical travel of spacecraft from one star system, solitary star, or planetary system to another. Interstellar travel is...
Oahspe: A New Bible. While NASA's Voyager and Pioneer probes have traveled into local interstellar space, the purpose of these uncrewed craft was specifically...
bandwidth. The possibility of using interstellar messenger probes for interstellar communication — known as Bracewell probes — was first suggested by Ronald...
The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is a heliophysics mission that will simultaneously investigate two important and coupled science...
Breakthrough Initiatives to develop a proof-of-concept fleet of light sail interstellarprobes named Starchip, to be capable of making the journey to the Alpha...
Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986, and Neptune in 1989. The probe left the heliosphere for interstellar space at 119 AU on November 5, 2018. Voyager 2 is still...
part of the Very Local Interstellar Medium which begins where the heliosphere and interplanetary medium end, the furthest that probes have traveled. The Solar...
Interplanetary Society to design a plausible uncrewed interstellarprobe. Intended mainly as a scientific probe, the design criteria specified that the spacecraft...
studying the interstellar medium. It is at a distance of 136.2 AU (20.4 billion km; 12.7 billion mi) from Earth as of April 2024[update]. The probe entered...
challenges of Interstellar Travel. It pioneered small-scale laser sail interstellarprobes (Project Dragonfly) and missions to interstellar objects (Project...
NASA released a mission concept involving the launch, in 2069, of an interstellarprobe to search for signs of life on planets orbiting stars in and around...
Moon two years later. The first interstellarprobe was Voyager 1, launched 5 September 1977. It entered interstellar space on 25 August 2012, followed...
The project is a study of a proposed interstellar precursor mission that would probe the nearby interstellar medium and measure the properties of magnetic...
Laboratory. Retrieved 13 December 2018. "Our Local Galactic Neighborhood". InterstellarProbe Project. NASA. 2000. Archived from the original on 21 November 2013...
original (PDF) on 3 June 2013. "Innovative InterstellarProbe". JHU/APL. Retrieved 22 October 2010. "InterstellarProbe". NASA/JPL. 5 February 2002. Archived...
000 years, perhaps much longer. Freitas, Robert A. (March 1980). "InterstellarProbes: A New Approach to SETI". Journal of the British Interplanetary Society...
interstellar messenger probes in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was first suggested by Ronald N. Bracewell in 1960 (see Bracewell probe)...
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