[img_thumb]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--z1N3bUp9--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/cnvjx0iqfzsozalr1xuh.png[/img_thumb]
(A rendering of the proposed lightsail technology)
[QUOTE]In a joint announcement at the One World Observatory in New York City today, Milner and Stephen Hawking unveiled Breakthrough Starshot, a $100 million research and engineering program seeking to lay the foundations for an eventual interstellar voyage. The first step of the program involves building light-propelled “nanocrafts” that can travel at relativistic speeds—up to 20 percent the speed of light. At such high velocities, the robotic spacecraft would pass Pluto in three days and reach our nearest neighboring star system, Alpha Centauri, just over 20 years after launch.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://gizmodo.com/a-russian-billionaire-and-stephen-hawking-want-to-build-1770467186"]Source[/URL]
[URL="http://www.iflscience.com/space/watch-live-stephen-hawking-reveal-mysterious-new-space-exploration-project-today"]Alt Source[/URL]
[URL="http://livestream.com/accounts/18650072/events/5143435"]Live Stream Announcement[/URL]
Sounds ambitious but alot more doable compared to the failed Mars One.
Hell yeah.
Only fitting that our first voyage to somewhere new will be done using something with sails
[QUOTE]that can travel at relativistic speeds—up to 20 percent the speed of light[/QUOTE]
holy shit, this is really cool
[quote]At such high velocities, the robotic spacecraft would pass Pluto in three days and reach our nearest neighboring star system, Alpha Centauri, just over 20 years after launch.[/quote]
I don't know what sounds more insane, just the theory or the fact that people with a lot of competence and money are seriously talking about actually making it a reality.
That sounds sooo futuristic.
sounds like the setup for a sci fi movie
Imagine knowing it had arrived but having to wait 5 years for any data to come back.
[QUOTE=CatFodder;50120232]Imagine knowing it had arrived but having to wait 5 years for any data to come back.[/QUOTE]
So 25 years before we could know whats there? Doesn't sound so bad. In the time that takes they should be able to expand the sail to allow people to make the Journey.
Technically about 4.3 years after arrival, but yeah that's still a long while.
We future now
Driverless cars, forays into space exploration, disease cures and the continuing miniaturization of technology? Fucking awesome last few years.
My only wish is I live long enough to see humanity begin to explore the stars
I think my favorite thing about the light sail is it only needs to be made once, then maintained, the real problem will be getting the crafts into orbit in the first place.
[QUOTE=Trebgarta;50120357]Manned flights to Alpha Centauri by 2045?
I wanna call you a dreamer but technology always manages to one up everything brought up by us I really cant.[/QUOTE]
Sometimes it does, but sometimes it just fails so hard because we just stop developing it because of various reasons. I mean, in the 70th people were sure we will reach other planets in the next couple of decades, and you know how things turned out. That's why it's really good to see news like this.
[QUOTE=RenaFox;50120095]Only fitting that our first voyage to somewhere new will be done using something with sails[/QUOTE]
It's pretty neat
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;50120059][img_thumb]Text[/QUOTE]
So, We will be able to maybe give voyager a lift?
How the hell does a lightsail get to .2 C? How long does it take to reach that velocity anyhow?
[QUOTE=Instant Mix;50120981]How the hell does a lightsail get to .2 C? How long does it take to reach that velocity anyhow?[/QUOTE]
Very low acceleration but basically unlimited Δv.
If you read the op, they plan to get around the acceleration problem by shooting it with a 100 Gigawatt laser..
[QUOTE=Morgen;50121288]If you read the op, they plan to get around the acceleration problem by shooting it with a 100 Gigawatt laser..[/QUOTE]
Well shit, there's the hangup. We're not going to be building anything like that in orbit anytime soon
Further, they're launching a potato chip sized spacecraft, which I doubt we will ever have a dish powerful enough to contact it with, so other than putting something on an escape trajectory from our solar system, this isn't going to do much for forwarding science
[QUOTE=Morgen;50121288]If you read the op, they plan to get around the acceleration problem by shooting it with a 100 Gigawatt laser..[/QUOTE]
How expensive and powerful is that?
[QUOTE=Sableye;50121931]Well shit, there's the hangup. We're not going to be building anything like that in orbit anytime soon[/QUOTE]
Who said anything about putting a 100 GW laser in orbit?
It's cool to think that possibly in my lifetime, humanity will reach another star and return.
[QUOTE=Sableye;50121931]Well shit, there's the hangup. We're not going to be building anything like that in orbit anytime soon
Further, they're launching a potato chip sized spacecraft, which I doubt we will ever have a dish powerful enough to contact it with, so other than putting something on an escape trajectory from our solar system, this isn't going to do much for forwarding science[/QUOTE]
I'm fairly certain they're not serious on the technical side considering neither one of them have any aerospace engineering experience.
Funnily enough, perhaps with a larger light sail, it could have a dual purpose of propulsion from an earthbound laser and as the reflector for a parabolic antenna.
[QUOTE=_Axel;50122050]Who said anything about putting a 100 GW laser in orbit?[/QUOTE]
It probably wouldn't do much on earth.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50122182]It probably wouldn't do much on earth.[/QUOTE]
Why wouldn't it?
[QUOTE=_Axel;50122189]Why wouldn't it?[/QUOTE]
Talking about some tiny device here. Going through the atmosphere it would probably get torn to shreds just from the air resistance.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50122199]Talking about some tiny device here. Going through the atmosphere it would probably get torn to shreds just from the air resistance.[/QUOTE]
The laser beam will get torn to shreds? I don't think we're talking about the same thing here.
[QUOTE=_Axel;50122208]The laser beam will get torn to shreds? I don't think we're talking about the same thing here.[/QUOTE]
The sail. It's only a few atoms thick. I imagine the transmission losses of shooting at something probably in GEO would be too significant as well.
Yeah the laser wouldn't get torn to shreds, although technically wouldn't it lose energy from going through many miles of air? Probably not massive amounts per mile, but there'd still be at least a bit of "falloff" from the energy payload.
I'm guessing he was talking about the solar sails?
The plan is probably to put the sail in space then fire a laser at it.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50122252]The sail. It's only a few atoms thick. I imagine the transmission losses of shooting at something probably in GEO would be too significant as well.[/QUOTE]
I assume the sail wouldn't be deployed before it reaches orbit. And given that we can communicate to the other end of the solar system using radio waves, I don't think the falloff from the atmosphere would matter much for a 100 GW laser. I suppose the main problem would be diffraction.
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