A wrote:
When was the first message sent by radio that would
have made it through the ionosphere into outer space?
I figure it must have been in the nineteenth century sometime.

Or more specifically how many light years away is that first
message now?
depends on the power level you mean I am sure a spark gap signal made
it out when Morse sent his "what has god wrout" message from Blt to
washignton (or the other way round