Question

How far have the Voyagers traveled since launch, and how many miles per second is that speed?

Answer 1

the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft have traveled the following distances since their launches:

1. Voyager 1: Launched on September 5, 1977

   • Distance traveled: Approximately 14.2 billion miles

2. Voyager 2: Launched on August 20, 1977

   • Distance traveled: Approximately 11.9 billion miles

Please note that these distances are continuously changing as the spacecraft are still active and moving through space.

To calculate their speed in miles per second, we'll need to know the time elapsed since their launch. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have been traveling for about 44 years and 11 months. I'll use this time to calculate their approximate speed in miles per second:

Speed = Total Distance Traveled / Time Elapsed

1. Voyager 1:

   • Total distance: 14.2 billion miles
   • Time elapsed: Approximately 44 years and 11 months (let's consider this as 44.9 years)
   • Speed ≈ 14,200,000,000 miles / (44.9 years * 365 days/year * 24 hours/day * 3600 seconds/hour)
   • Speed ≈ 38,300 miles per second

2. Voyager 2:

   • Total distance: 11.9 billion miles
   • Time elapsed: Approximately 44 years and 11 months (let's consider this as 44.9 years)
   • Speed ≈ 11,900,000,000 miles / (44.9 years * 365 days/year * 24 hours/day * 3600 seconds/hour)
   • Speed ≈ 32,000 miles per second

Keep in mind that these speeds are approximate and based on the data available . For the most up-to-date information on the Voyager spacecraft, I recommend checking with official sources such as NASA's Voyager mission pages.