"None of us knew, when we launched 40 years ago, that anything would still be working, and continuing on this pioneering journey," said Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist based at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "The most exciting thing they find in the next five years is likely to be something that we didn't know was out there to be discovered."

Still ticking! Still sending back data! 40 years! When the Voyagers launched, the moons of Saturn and (to and extent) Jupiter were mere dots in images. After Voyager, the moons of the outer solar system became worlds all in their own right. The tiny specs I see in the telescope are worlds, and we have the images to prove it.

We live in one of the most wonderful times ever to be alive as human beings. I only hope those that come behind us can say the same thing.