Breakthrough Starshot: Sending Probes at a Fifth of the Speed of Light



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29 thoughts on “Breakthrough Starshot: Sending Probes at a Fifth of the Speed of Light”

  1. Rocheworld was first published as Flight of the Dragonfly, that's the edition I have, it has a technical report at the end describing the solar sail mission and how you can make it a return trip as well.

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  2. There is absolutely ZERO reasons to spend a dime to go to our closest star neighbor… full stop.

    One thing all the dreamers forget in their calculations is not how to accelerate, but how to decelerate. If it takes 10 years to accelerate to 1/10th light speed, you have to turn the sail around and start decelerating 10 years BEFORE you arrive. Otherwise you will zip past our nearest star neighbor and end up 'lost in space'.

    Early dreamers would focus energy from Earth onto the solar sail. But because of the inverse square law of energy over distance, very soon there is not enough energy produced in our entire solar system to continue accelerating the object. Closer to our Sun helps but even that energy quickly becomes too little.

    Current dreamers would construct a massive sail and have energy producing Lasers onboard fueled by nuclear reactor. Kind of like having fans on a sailboat powered by gas generator with huge fuel tank. In theory it 'might' work. In reality it is still a massive effort with ZERO need. We should just throw a global party and give every human a billion dollars instead. I for one could use an extra billion.

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  3. Light sails is one of the most magical, under-celebrated technologies in the world. It's the fastest spaceflight technology achievable using existing and near-future technology. A simple, ultra-thin sail that can accelerate way, WAY faster than any other existing technology, to a significant percentage of the speed of light, and can fly to another solar system within just 20 years, without carrying engines or propellant. Unbelievable !

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  4. You keep mentioning NASA. With the massive lobby and contract protest problem, the goal to get to $1000 probes to even explore locally will be paved with strife. Only through private venture will we get there gracefully. What industry goes from charging $1 billion+ to $1000 without a fight?

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  5. Collisions? Rather than worrying what particles might do to the probe, shouldn't we be concerned about what a 4g projectile moving at a quarter the speed of light might do at the destination. It'd suck to incidentally declare war on someone.

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  6. I dont even think humans will get to Mars let alone get beyond our solar system. Neither will we get an unmanned craft to nearby stars. Will destroy ourselves and deplete needed resources way before then

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