A pair of unstoppable space probes launched from Cape Canaveral
35 years ago have reached new milestones. The famous Voyager
probes, traveling 11 billion miles, have reached the outer edge
of the solar system. Within the past few months, the probes have
been picking up particles from other stars, thrown off in vast
explosions. The particles are the very first sign of what's
beyond the solar system, beyond the influence of our sun. The
probes are the first earthly emissaries to reach this point, and
having been built in the 1970s, they carry a phonograph record,
made of gold, with the sounds of earth in case any civilization
finds it. The probes are now in the solar system's last layer,
sampling from both within and without. It'll take another two
years to move beyond this last layer. Their nuclear power is
waning, and probably won't last beyond 2025.