Non-exhaustive list of artificial objects that are travelling faster than the Sun’s escape velocity: they are on their way to leave the solar system.
Voyager 1 and 2 left the heliosphere to coast into interstellar space in August 25, 2012 and November 5, 2018 respectively. There are no means of tracking the spent stages and mission-related debris (e.g. de-spin weights), it is probable that they will also leave the solar system.
17 artificial objects have been identified.
| COSPAR ID | name | type | mission | quantity | status | date/epoch (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-012C | STAR-37E (TE-M-364-4) | Booster (3rd stage) | PIONEER 10 | 1 | discarded | March 3, 1972 |
| 1972-012C | DE-SPIN MASS (STAR-37E) | Cables w/ weights | PIONEER 10 | 2 | discarded | March 3, 1972 |
| 1972-012A | PIONEER 10 (PIONEER F) + PIONEER PLAQUE 1 | Deep space probe + gold-anodized aluminium plaque | PIONEER 10 | 1 | EOM, inactive | January 23, 2003 |
| 1973-019A | DE-SPIN MASS (STAR-37E) | Cables w/ weights | PIONEER 11 | 2 | discarded | April 6, 1973 |
| 1973-019A | PIONEER 11 (PIONEER G) + PIONEER PLAQUE 2 | Deep space probe + gold-anodized aluminium plaque | PIONEER 11 | 1 | EOM, inactive | September 3, 1995 |
| 1977-076C | STAR-37E (TE-M-364-4) | Booster (4th stage) | VOYAGER 2 | 1 | discarded | August 20, 1977 |
| 1977-076 | INFRARED INTERFEROMETER SPECTROMETER AND RADIOMETER (IRIS) DUST COVER | Spacecraft instrument dust cover | VOYAGER 2 | 1 | discarded, possibly in heliocentric orbit | August 20, 1977 |
| 1977-076A | VOYAGER 2 + VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORD 1 | Deep space probe + gold-plated phonograph record | VOYAGER 2 | 1 | active | August 20, 1977 |
| 1977-084C | STAR-37E (TE-M-364-4) | Booster (4th stage) | VOYAGER 1 | 1 | discarded | September 5, 1977 |
| 1977-084 | INFRARED INTERFEROMETER SPECTROMETER AND RADIOMETER (IRIS) DUST COVER | Spacecraft instrument dust cover | VOYAGER 1 | 1 | discarded, possibly in heliocentric orbit | September 5, 1977 |
| 1977-084A | VOYAGER 1 + VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORD 2 | Deep space probe + gold-plated phonograph record | VOYAGER 1 | 1 | active | September 5, 1977 |
| 2006-001C | STAR 48B | Booster (3rd stage) | NEW HORIZONS (NEW FRONTIERS 1) | 1 | discarded | January 19, 2006 |
| 2006-001C | DE-SPIN MASS (NEW HORIZONS) | Cables w/ weights | NEW HORIZONS (NEW FRONTIERS 1) | 2 | discarded | January 19, 2006 |
| 2006-001A | NEW HORIZONS | Deep space probe | NEW HORIZONS (NEW FRONTIERS 1) | 1 | active | January 19, 2006 |
| TOTAL | 17+ |