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Rule (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 2 months ago by Persona3Reload@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/196@lemmy.blahaj.zone

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[-] recklessengagement@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

Theres a non-zero chance we could send a camera-equipped spacecraft to the nearest star and get the pictures back within our lifetimes

https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/initiative/3

So if nothing else, I'm sticking around for that

[-] Smorty@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 months ago

No way, really? I thought that would take like insanely super long to even get there physically.

[-] recklessengagement@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

For a human-supporting craft, absolutely. From what I understand, these craft weigh less than a kilogram, so you can accelerate them much faster.

[-] nik9000@programming.dev 2 points 2 months ago

I remember it being small probes, big earth mounted pushing laser, and not stopping at the destination.

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev 5 points 2 months ago

At first, I thought this would be like Project Orion ("nuke"-powered rockets), as Dyson's math back in 1968 expected one version to reach Alpha Centauri within 133 years

Though nanocraft being pushed by lasers sound interesting, braking remains a problem. Still, if they can prove the concept with a much shorter trip somewhere in our solar system, I'll be anxiously waiting for their next move.