Voyager and the heliopause: Exploring where the Sun gives way to the stars

What does it really mean to enter interstellar space, and what have we learned since humanity first crossed the invisible boundary between our Sun and the stars? In this episode of Planetary Radio, we explore the science of the heliosphere and the realm beyond with Linda Spilker, project scientist for the Voyager mission at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Drawing on decades of experience with the twin spacecraft, Spilker shares how Voyager reshaped our view of the Solar System’s outer frontier, from the nature of the heliopause to the unexpectedly rich structure of the local interstellar medium. We unpack what Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have taught us about charged particles, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays beyond the Sun’s protective bubble, and why those measurements have upended earlier ideas about where the Solar System truly ends. Spilker also reflects on the mission’s extraordinary longevity, the ingenuity required to keep the spacecraft communicating across the vastness of space, and what Voyager’s legacy means for future journeys between the stars. Then, in What’s Up, Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society, places Voyager in context, showing how long-lived missions shape the bigger picture of space science and why observing longer can lead to some of our most profound discoveries. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-voyagers-and-the-heliopauseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.