NASA's Voyager 1, a small spacecraft launched in 1977, has reached a new distance from Earth, reaching a distance of one light-day. The spacecraft, which is currently 15.9 billion miles (25.6 billion km) away from Earth and was designed to be a short-term scout for the outer planets, has been operating for nearly 50 years. Despite this, Voyager 1 remains the most distant human-made object in history. Despite its technological limitations, the spacecraft continues to operate in one of the harshest environments imaginable. It uses plutonium to power its mission and uses nonessential nonessential instruments to conserve energy. The mission also carries the Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disc designed to provide a message in a bottle for extraterrestrial life.