By the end of 2010 the Voyager 1 space probe ventured to the edge of a new, unexplored sector of space. The powerful solar winds (charged particles that emanate from the sun) that blow throughout our solar system died down in the new area, which scientists took to mean that Voyager is approaching the furthest reaches of the solar system. It was conceived as a long-term and open-ended mission, and its longevity has brought scientists an exciting wealth of data about space at the outer reaches of our solar system.

On this day, September 5, in 1977, the Voyager 1 space explorer launched from Cape Canaveral, in Florida. Several weeks prior its twin Voyager 2 was launched on a parallel tour, to swing by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Voyager 1 is steadily making its way to the edge of the solar system at 38,000 mph. Over nine billion miles away now, it has enough power to last at least until 2025 — giving it at least a decade in interstellar space to make new discoveries where no man-made machine has ever gone before.