We have sent several spacecraft on trajectories that will ultimately take them into interstellar space (Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, New Horizons). How long will it take these spacecraft to travel as far as the nearest stars?
A) Tens of thousands of years
B) A few hundred years
C) A few decades
D) Never, because they will rust and fall apart
E) About a thousand years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nearest star system to our solar system, Alpha Centauri, is about 4.37 light-years away. Even the fastest spacecraft currently in operation (New Horizons) would take tens of thousands of years to reach Alpha Centauri. Therefore, it will take these spacecraft tens of thousands of years to travel as far as the nearest stars.

We Have Sent Several Spacecraft on Trajectories That Will Ultimately