On the 5 September 1977 NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched into space. It was designed to to explore the major planets of our solar system in particular Jupiter and Saturn.

Now some 40 years later Voyager 1 and its sibling Voyager 2 are defying all NASA’s expectations because not only are they still functioning perfectly, but they’ve become the first man-made objects to leave our solar system.

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Equipped with humanity’s first message to alien life they could also be the messengers that first introduce us to a species from another solar system.

To accomplish such a landmark both Voyager spacecraft have become a collection of mind-blowing statistics and world firsts.

To celebrate 40 years of NASA’s incredible spacecraft here are just a few mind-blowing facts that sum up the incredible journey that’s taken place so far.

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