<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-diagram-of-proxima-centaturi-s-habitable-zone-and-proxima-b-orbiting-within-it-also-included-is-a-swam-of-probes-arranged-in.png?id=61630571&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C838%2C0%2C838"/> To the naked eye, the stars are diamond flecks scattered across the inner surface of a celestial sphere. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/vera-rubin-observatory-first-images" target="_self">Telescopes</a> have brought depth to our vision, mapping the true distances to cosmic objects. But the universe they reveal appears utterly beyond the human scale of space and time. Even the closest stars seem infinitely remote, and reaching them a thing of science fiction, save for a few dead and dying<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/plotting-the-destinations-of-4-interstellar-probes" target="_self"> probes drifting outward for eternity</a>.<div class="ieee-sidebar-small">This article is part of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/special-reports/scale/" target="_blank">The Scale Issue</a>.</div>Now, though, a cadre of researchers are working to make interstellar travel a reality, at least to our nearest neighbors. They are coalescing around an approach that could lead to closeup images of a star and an exoplanet just 25 years after mission launch. <img alt="Diagram of spacecraft sail layers showing aerographene, electronics, and betavoltaic materials." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="db1bc2e7fb5965a7957f2d18651bc379" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="84502" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/diagram-of-spacecraft-sail-layers-showing-aerographene-electronics-and-betavoltaic-materials.png?id=61630786&width=980"/>Most of each 4-meter probe will be a disc of aerographene or similar material, just a few micrometers in thickness, with optical sensors and transmitters on one side and a reflective surface on the other that the launch laser will aim at. The rim of the probe will be a 2-centimeter-thick band. The trailing edge will have apertures for interprobe laser communications. Power and processing electronics will form a ring inside the rim. The swarm’s optical transmitters will pulse in unison to send data to Earth at a rate of around 1 kilobit per second.Chris Philpot<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus" target="_blank">The first generation of theoretical starship designs</a> had featured massive vehicles propelled by fission or fusion drives. Top speed was estimated at about 10 percent of the speed of light, or 0.1c. This meant that a flyby mission to the closest star system,<a href="https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/meet-proxima-centauri-closest-star/" target="_blank"> Proxima Centauri</a>, would take over 42 years to reach its target.In contrast, the new generation of starship designs are tiny, and they have no drives at all. The spacecraft have a mass of a few grams each. They’ll be accelerated out of our solar system by ground- or space-based lasers, traveling at an estimated 0.2c. <img alt="Laser array launching probes to Proxima Centauri; diagram shows 4.25 light-years distance, with clumps in between the stars representing dust clouds.." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e9199979e54e0e9d381b6c2055eb57c0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="fb867" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/laser-array-launching-probes-to-proxima-centauri-diagram-shows-4-25-light-years-distance-with-clumps-in-between-the-stars-repr.png?id=61630683&width=980"/>A 100-gigawatt laser beam made by combining many smaller lasers will propel hundreds to thousands of tiny probes. Pushing against interstellar magnetic fields, the probes will turn edge on to minimize radiation and impact damage. By adjusting the launch laser to accelerate later probes to higher speeds than earlier ones, the string of probes will coalesce into a swarm by the time of arrival.Chris PhilpotOne version of this small-and-fast approach calls for sending<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.07061" target="_blank"> a swarm of these puny flyers</a> to the<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/proxima-centauri-b/" target="_blank"> Proxima Centauri b exoplanet</a>. Data would be returned by having the swarm emit light pulses in synchrony, detectable by telescopes on Earth. Put forward by a team led by Thomas Marshall Eubanks at<a href="https://www.space-initiatives.com/" target="_blank"> Space Initiatives</a>, this mission was selected for<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marshall-Eubanks/publication/383949067_Swarming_Proxima_Centauri_NIAC_Symposium/links/66e2211ef84dd1716ce76f0f/Swarming-Proxima-Centauri-NIAC-Symposium.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> a 2024 phase one study</a> by<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-the-nasa-innovative-advanced-concepts-niac/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts</a> program. It didn’t make the list for a phase two study this year, but Eubanks plans to retry in 2026.With a swarm, “we could do gigapixel imaging of the planet,” says Eubanks. “That’s at a level where if it was a planet like Earth, we’d be able to see things like coral reefs and airports.”

خطة جديدة للسفر بين النجوم بسرعة عالية تكتسب اهتمامًا، مما يعد بثورة في فهمنا للكون. تهدف هذه المبادرة إلى إرسال مسبارات إلى أنظمة نجمية قريبة، مثل بروكسيما ب، التي قد تحتوي على حياة. تكمن أهمية هذا المشروع في إمكانيته لتوسيع الاستكشاف البشري خارج نظامنا الشمسي، مما يفتح آفاقًا جديدة في العلوم والتكنولوجيا. مع تطويرنا لطرق سفر أسرع، يصبح حلم الوصول إلى نجوم أخرى أكثر واقعية، مما يلهم الأجيال القادمة للنظر إلى الأعلى والتأمل.

Un nuevo plan para viajes interestelares a alta velocidad está ganando atención, prometiendo revolucionar nuestra comprensión del universo. Esta iniciativa tiene como objetivo enviar sondas a sistemas estelares cercanos, como Proxima b, que podría albergar vida. La importancia de este proyecto radica en su potencial para expandir la exploración humana más allá de nuestro sistema solar, abriendo nuevas fronteras en ciencia y tecnología. A medida que desarrollamos métodos de viaje más rápidos, el sueño de alcanzar otras estrellas se vuelve más tangible, inspirando a las futuras generaciones a mirar hacia arriba y maravillarse.

Un nouveau plan pour un voyage interstellaire à grande vitesse suscite de l'intérêt, promettant de révolutionner notre compréhension de l'univers. Cette initiative vise à envoyer des sondes vers des systèmes stellaires voisins, comme Proxima b, qui pourrait potentiellement abriter la vie. L'importance de ce projet réside dans son potentiel à élargir l'exploration humaine au-delà de notre système solaire, ouvrant de nouvelles frontières en science et technologie. À mesure que nous développons des méthodes de voyage plus rapides, le rêve d'atteindre d'autres étoiles devient plus tangible, inspirant les générations futures à lever les yeux et à s'émerveiller.

A new plan for high-speed interstellar travel is gaining attention, promising to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. This initiative aims to send probes to nearby star systems, like Proxima b, which could potentially harbor life. The significance of this project lies in its potential to expand human exploration beyond our solar system, opening up new frontiers in science and technology. As we develop faster travel methods, the dream of reaching other stars becomes more tangible, inspiring future generations to look up and wonder.

The High-Speed Plan for Interstellar Travel

Planned orbital observatories would see satellites cross nearly all of their images.

من المقرر أن تتداخل الكوكبات المخطط لها من الأقمار الصناعية بشكل كبير مع المراصد المدارية المستقبلية، حيث ستعبر هذه الأقمار الصناعية تقريبًا جميع الصور التي تلتقطها التلسكوبات. يثير هذا التطور مخاوف بشأن جدوى الملاحظات الفلكية في السنوات القادمة.

Las constelaciones de satélites planificadas están destinadas a interferir significativamente con los futuros observatorios orbitales, ya que estos satélites cruzarán casi todas las imágenes capturadas por los telescopios. Este desarrollo plantea preocupaciones sobre la viabilidad de las observaciones astronómicas en los próximos años.

Des constellations de satellites prévues devraient interférer de manière significative avec les futurs observatoires orbitaux, car ces satellites traverseront presque toutes les images capturées par les télescopes. Ce développement soulève des inquiétudes quant à la viabilité des observations astronomiques dans les années à venir.

Planned satellite constellations are set to significantly interfere with future orbital observatories, as these satellites will cross nearly all images captured by telescopes. This development raises concerns about the viability of astronomical observations in the coming years.

The High-Speed Plan for Interstellar Travel

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