A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#1

Post by sravfeyn » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:13 PM UTC

A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away
nytimes.com

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#2

Post by RIMR » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:46 PM UTC

So, how is a tiny smartphone-sized probe supposed to transmit data back to Earth from 4.37ly away?

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#3

Post by sravfeyn » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:47 PM UTC

How significant are the relativistic effects at 0.2c (the probe speed they are aiming for)?

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#4

Post by ColinCochrane » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:48 PM UTC

This is quite an interesting proposal, although there are some major technological challenges to address:

To achieve that energy would require an array about a mile across combining thousands of lasers firing in perfect unison.

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#5

Post by derrickdirge » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:49 PM UTC

RIMR wrote: post #2

So, how is a tiny smartphone-sized probe supposed to transmit data back to Earth from 4.37ly away?

Slowly and very carefully.

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#6

Post by ck2 » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:49 PM UTC

I thought very strange things start to happen at even 10% the speed of light (mass increase, etc.) so 20% sounds impossibly ambitious?

Also the fastest physical object we've ever observed is only 1000 miles per second. A far cry from even 10% of c

Then there is that pesky problem of deceleration.

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#7

Post by mabbo » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:52 PM UTC

sravfeyn wrote: post #3

How significant are the relativistic effects at 0.2c (the probe speed they are aiming for)?

Not enormous, but noticeable. Around 2% time lost relative to earth, I believe.

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#8

Post by mabbo » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:53 PM UTC

ck2 wrote: post #6

I thought very strange things start to happen at even 10% the speed of light (mass increase, etc.) so 20% sounds impossibly ambitious? Also the fastest physical object we've ever observed is only 1000 miles per second. A far cry from even 10% of c Then there is that pesky problem of deceleration.

At 20% the speed of light, time would dilate by around 2%, but that's about the extent of the effects, afaik.

Also: why bother decelerating at all? Take a picture as you fly by.

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#9

Post by 0x74696d » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 4:56 PM UTC

Sending a swarm of unguided relativistic projectiles across the universe seems profoundly rude.

Re: A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away

#10

Post by jessriedel » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 5:03 PM UTC

ck2 wrote: post #6

I thought very strange things start to happen at even 10% the speed of light (mass increase, etc.) so 20% sounds impossibly ambitious? Also the fastest physical object we've ever observed is only 1000 miles per second. A far cry from even 10% of c Then there is that pesky problem of deceleration.

They are definitely not planning on decelerating.