Author: Paul Ratner / Source: Big Think
- The Breakthrough Starshot initiative was co-founded by Stephen Hawking.
- The project raised $100 million and is moving ahead with extensive research.
- The goal of Starshot is to send tiny “StarChip” spacecraft to explore neighboring star systems.
Imagine paper-thin nano-spacecraft being propelled through space at 134 million mph by super-powerful lasers, brighter than the sun.
They would also be strong enough to ignite entire cities in minutes, if turned back towards Earth. Where are the spaceships headed? Towards a potential new habitat for humanity in the nearby star system Alpha Centauri, which is just about 25.7 trillion miles away. Now imagine no more – this is not science fiction but an actual project gathering steam.The Breakthrough Starshot initiative raised $100 million for research from funders like the Russian-American billionaire Yuri Milner and a host of Silicon Valley investors. Notably, the Starshot initiative included the late Stephen Hawking and the Harvard University astronomer Avi Loeb among its founders. What gives this group additional potential is that their idea for exploring space is based on 80 scientific studies on interstellar travel.
What the scientists, lead by Peter Klupar, the engineering director of the Breakthrough Foundation and the Starshot initiative, figured out after much experimentation and studies is that the best way to send an object to another star is by building a giant laser.
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize Foundation)
Stephen Hawking at press conference to announce Breakthrough Starshot on April 12, 2016 in New York City.
The technology the project is looking to implement would involve launching around 1,000 tiny “StarChip” spacecraft at about 20% of the speed of light towards Alpha Centauri. It happens to be the second-closest star system to Earth. Proxima Centauri, an even closer star system, is also being discussed as a destination.
The chips would weigh about a gram each and be attached to light sails. They would also be equipped with cameras to record everything…
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