To calculate how long a modern probe would take to travel 166.3 astronomical units (AU), we need to consider the advancements in propulsion technology since Voyager 1’s launch.
Voyager 1 achieved a speed of about 17 kilometers per second relative to the Sun. Technologies that could improve travel times include ion propulsion and solar sails. However, the most likely propulsion for a fast-traveling spacecraft would rely on a combination of chemical rockets and gravitational assists to achieve greater velocities.
Currently, the Parker Solar Probe holds the record for the fastest human-made object, reaching speeds up to about 430,000 miles per hour (approximately 700,000 kilometers per hour), equivalent to around 194 kilometers per second. If a probe could sustain a speed similar to Parker Solar Probe’s during its perihelion, it would represent a significant speed increase over Voyager 1.
Using this speed for comparison:
Voyager 1 speed: 17 km/s
Parker Solar Probe speed: ~194 km/s
The travel time at the Parker Solar Probe’s speed would be significantly shorter.
Travel time (Voyager 1) = 47 years, 3 months, 7 days ≈ 17,290 days
Speed ratio = (17 km/s) / (194 km/s) ≈ 1/11.4
If the travel time were directly inverse to speed, then:
New travel time ≈ 17,290 days / 11.4 ≈ 1,516 days, or about 4.15 years.
Therefore, if a probe were able to travel at speeds close to the Parker Solar Probe, it could reach 166.3 AU in roughly 4.15 years, a substantial reduction compared to Voyager 1’s journey. However, it’s important to note that maintaining such high speeds for an extended period would require continuous propulsion or a similarly high initial velocity achieved through innovative techniques like multiple gravitational assists or advanced propulsion methods that are still in developmental phases for long-range space missions.