"It is a difficult computer task to calculate what stars might by chance be along the Voyager spacecraft trajectories 50,000 or 100,000 years from now. Mike Helton of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has attempted to make such a calculation. He calls attention in particular to an obscure star called AC+79 3888, which is now in the constellation of Ursa Minor -- the Little Bear, or Little Dipper. It is now seventeen light-years from the Sun. But in 40,000 years it will by chance be within three light-years of the Sun, closer than Alpha Centauri is to us now. Within that period, Voyager 1 will come within 1.7 light-years of AC+79 3888, and Voyager 2 within 1.1 light-years. Two other candidate stars are DM+21 652 in the constellation Taurus and AC-24 2833 183 in the constellation Sagittarius. However, neither Voyager 1 nor Voyager 2 will come as close to these stars as to AC+79 3888.
"Our ability to detect planetary systems around other stars is at present extremely limited, although it is rapidly improving. Some preliminary evidence suggest that there are one or more planets of about the mass of Jupiter and Saturn orbiting Barnard's star, and general theoretical considerations suggest that planets ought to be a frequent component of most such stars.
"If future studies of AC+79 3888 demonstrate that it indeed has a planetary system, then we might wish to do something to beat the odds set by the haunting and dreadful emptiness of space -- the near certainty that, left to themselves, neither Voyager spacecraft would ever plummet into the planet-rich interior of another solar system. For it might be possible -- after the Voyager scientific missions are completed -- to make one final firing of the onboard rocket propulsion system and redirect the the spacecraft as closely as we possibly can so that they will make a true encounter with AC+79 3888. If such a maneuver can be effected, then some 60,000 years from now one or two tiny hurtling messengers from the strange and distant planet Earth may penetrate into the planetary system of AC+79 3888."
We know so much more about exoplanets today than we did in Sagan's time, and have so much more computing power to bring to bear. Knowing the trajectory thrusters still work, it would be a fitting tribute to try one last interstellar bank shot into the corner pocket, and see if we couldn't honor Sagan's last wishes, and give the Voyagers a destination worthy of their journey and their cargo.