Since the beginning of spaceflight, humans have accomplished wonderful feats of exploration and showcased their drive to understand the universe.
Yet, in those 60 years, only one spacecraft, Voyager 1 (launched in 1977) has left the solar system. As remarkable as this is, humans will never reach even the nearest stars with out current propulsion technology. Instead, radically new strategies involving the technology already available must be used.
We propose a roadmap to a program that will lead to sending relativistic probes to the nearest stars.
To do so requires a fundamental change in our thinking of both propulsion and our definition of what a spacecraft is. In addition to larger spacecrafts capable of human transportation, we consider “wafer sats”, wafer-scale systems weighing no more than a gram. The wafer sats would include integrated optical communications, optical systems, and sensors. These crafts, combined with directed energy propulsion, could be capable of speeds greater than 0.25 c.
This program has applications for planetary defense, SETI and Kepler missions.
The Latest on: Space laser propulsion
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The Latest on: Space laser propulsion
- India’s 3D-printed rocket engine aces long-duration hot testingon May 11, 2024 at 4:11 am
ISRO's 3D-printing process used 13.7 kg of metal powder compared to the 565 kg of forgings and sheets for conventional manufacturing process.
- New spacecraft system uses air as fuel to offer endless electric propulsionon May 9, 2024 at 4:47 am
This innovative concept, called air-breathing electric propulsion spacecraft, will fly pretty close to our planet in the very low Earth orbit (VLEO).
- Space Exploration : New Fusion Drive propulsion system successfully testedon May 3, 2024 at 2:45 am
A new FireStar Fusion Drive has been successfully tested designed specifically for space exploration. Its latest iteration offers a 50% thrust ...
- NASA's latest speed test logs its laser-based comms system at 25 Mbps—a connection speed usually good for online gaming—over 140 million miles through our solar systemon April 30, 2024 at 8:38 am
The Psyche craft was able to send and receive information from NASA JPL's high-power uplink laser facility in Wrightwood, California at around 25 Mbps in a test on April 8. That means, even at this ...
- NASA Space Laser Beams Home Data From 140 Million Miles Awayon April 30, 2024 at 6:45 am
The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) equipped Psyche with a brand-new kind of laser communication array, and this instrument just aced an important milestone test. NASA reports that Psyche's ...
- Earth picks up space laser transmission from 140 million miles away in major milestoneon April 30, 2024 at 4:29 am
The laser message was zapped Earthward by NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications transceiver mounted on the Psyche spacecraft.
- Data From the Void: NASA Receives Laser Communications From 140+ Million Miles Awayon April 30, 2024 at 1:18 am
NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment also interfaced with the Psyche spacecraft’s communication system for the first time, transmitting engineering data to Earth. Riding aboard NASA’s ...
- NASA uses laser link to beam data 140 million miles across space at 25 Mbpson April 29, 2024 at 12:31 pm
NASA has confirmed a significant milestone for its Psyche spacecraft's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment. This technology demonstration aims to test laser-based data links beyond ...
- Space laser transmits to Earth from more than 226 million kilometres awayon April 29, 2024 at 12:03 pm
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has communicated with its Psyche spacecraft — located more than 226 million kilometres away — using a space laser. The Psyche mission is a ...
- Space laser transmission strikes Earth from 140 million miles away: NASAon April 29, 2024 at 8:11 am
Earth just received a laser transmission from a world (and perhaps universe) record-breaking 140 million miles away — which could have major implications for the future of space travel.
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