What happens if an alien civilisation encounters Voyager 1 after Earth is dead?
Voyager 1 carries the Golden Record, which contains evidence of human life. It is meant to reveal everything about Earth to another civilisation that might exist in the universe. What if they find it after we are long gone?
Voyager 1 is floating in interstellar space
Voyager 1 has been drifting in space for nearly 50 years. Launched in 1977, it was meant to study the outer planets in the solar system. However, it has outlived its expected lifespan and is now floating in interstellar space, having moved beyond the heliopause in 2012.
Voyager 1 revealed new data about Jupiter and Saturn
At 25 billion kilometres, it is the most distant man-made object in the universe. It revealed new details about Jupiter and Saturn, and also discovered new moons and rings for both planets. Voyager 1 continues to send back data from deep space and will reach one light day in November 2026 - a point light takes one day to reach from our planet.
Golden Record, a time capsule on Voyager 1
Voyager 1 is carrying a "Golden Record", filled with messages and images from humans and of other things that exist on Earth. The idea is to let any extraterrestrial life that encounters Voyager to know about Earth and the kind of life and objects that live here. In 1977, it was added to the spacecraft with the assumption that anyone who finds it might want to contact humans.
What if Voyager 1 encounters alien life after Earth no longer exists?
The record comes with instructions on how to play it and how to locate Earth's position in the universe. But this would only help if Earth were still in its current state, with humans still around. But what if the contact happens after Earth is long gone, or it is still here, but life as we know it today no longer exists?
Voyager 1 will become the only proof of life on Earth
In the event Voyager 1 and the Golden Record come across alien life after we are no longer here, it becomes a time capsule. With human voices and other sounds, it will be the only surviving proof of life on Earth that once was.
With Voyager 1, humans would be leaving a confirmed evidence of life on Earth
This would be a scenario similar to Mars, except in this case, another civilisation would also be sure that life once flourished on Earth. With the Red Planet, we are still trying to figure out whether that was the case or not. Several evidence have been discovered that hint that Mars had life once upon a time.
Golden Record will be the only “living” thing with record of humanity
Voyager 1 and the messages in it will become a memorial, a record of Earth's past. The probe would likely remain the only “living” thing still carrying a record of humanity when everyone is gone.
Carl Sagan said, Golden Record says something hopeful about Earth
Carl Sagan noted that the "spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilisations in interstellar space." However, the biggest takeaway would be that if Earthlings could launch "this bottle into the cosmic ocean", it says "something very hopeful about life on this planet."
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