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.
Although both Voyager 1 and 2 have left the heliosphere to coast into interstellar space (in August 25, 2012 and November 5, 2018 respectively), they will physically leave the solar system after going past the Oort Cloud in several thousands of years. There are no means of tracking the spent stages and mission-related debris (e.g. de-spin weights) but they are probably on a similar trajectory.
Additionally, other objects will probably acquire enough kinetic energy to leave the Solar system after one or several close fly-bys of planets. For instance, the Ulysses Solar probe is thought to be slingshot out of heliocentric orbit during one of its next encounters with the Jovian system.
Approx. number of artificial objects: 17
Approx. total mass: 2.6 tons
| COSPAR ID | name | type | mission | quantity | mass (kg) | status | date/epoch (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-012C | STAR-37E (TE-M-364-4) | Booster (3rd stage) | PIONEER 10 | 1 | 83.1 | discarded | March 3, 1972 |
| 1972-012C | YO-YO DE-SPIN MASS (STAR-37E) | Cables w/ weights | PIONEER 10 | 2 | - | discarded | March 3, 1972 |
| 1972-012A | PIONEER 10 (PIONEER F) | Deep space probe | PIONEER 10 | 1 | 222 | EOM, defunct | January 23, 2003 |
| 1972-012A | PIONEER PLAQUE 1 | Commemorative items | PIONEER 10 | 1 | - | fixed to the probe | January 23, 2003 |
| 1973-019A | YO-YO DE-SPIN MASS (STAR-37E) | Cables w/ weights | PIONEER 11 | 2 | - | discarded | April 6, 1973 |
| 1973-019A | PIONEER 11 (PIONEER G) | Deep space probe | PIONEER 11 | 1 | 222 | EOM, defunct | September 3, 1995 |
| 1973-019A | PIONEER PLAQUE 2 | Commemorative items | PIONEER 11 | 1 | - | fixed to the probe | September 3, 1995 |
| 1977-076C | STAR-37E (TE-M-364-4) | Booster (4th stage) | VOYAGER 2 | 1 | 83.1 | discarded | August 20, 1977 |
| 1977-076A | 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 | Deep space probe | VOYAGER 2 | 1 | 735 | active | August 20, 1977 |
| 1977-076A | VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORD 1 + SMALL DACRON U.S. FLAG | Commemorative items | VOYAGER 2 | 1 | - | fixed to the probe | August 20, 1977 |
| 1977-084C | STAR-37E (TE-M-364-4) | Booster (4th stage) | VOYAGER 1 | 1 | 83.1 | discarded | September 5, 1977 |
| 1977-084A | 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 | Deep space probe | VOYAGER 1 | 1 | 735 | active | September 5, 1977 |
| 1977-084A | VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORD 2 + SMALL DACRON U.S. FLAG | Commemorative items | VOYAGER 1 | 1 | - | fixed to the probe | September 5, 1977 |
| 2006-001C | STAR 48B | Booster (3rd stage) | NEW HORIZONS (NEW FRONTIERS 1) | 1 | 123.8 | discarded | January 19, 2006 |
| 2006-001C | YO-YO 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 | 401 | active | January 19, 2006 |
| 2006-001A | MEMORIAL CAPSULE (CLYDE TOMBAUGH) | Burial ashes space capsule | NEW HORIZONS (NEW FRONTIERS 1) | 1 | - | fixed to the probe | January 19, 2006 |
| 2006-001A | 2 CD-ROMS + FLORIDA & MARYLAND STATE QUARTERS + SPACESHIP ONE CARBON PIECE + 2 U.S. FLAGS + U.S. STAMP | Commemorative items | NEW HORIZONS (NEW FRONTIERS 1) | 8 | - | fixed to the probe | January 19, 2006 |