StarChip (spacecraft)

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StarChip is the name used by Breakthrough Initiatives for a very small, centimeter-sized, gram-scale, interstellar spacecraft envisioned for the Breakthrough Starshot program,[1][2] a proposed mission to propel a fleet of a thousand StarChips on a journey to the Alpha Centauri star system, the nearest extrasolar stars, about 4.37 light-years from Earth.[3][4][5][6][7][8] The journey may include a flyby of Proxima Centauri b, an Earth-sized exoplanet that is in the habitable zone of its host star.[9] The ultra-light StarChip robotic nanocrafts, fitted with lightsails, are planned to travel at speeds of 20%[1][4][5][6] and 15%[6] of the speed of light, taking between 20 and 30 years to reach the star system, respectively, and about 4 years to notify Earth of a successful arrival.[4] The conceptual principles to enable practical interstellar travel were described in "A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight", by Philip Lubin of UC Santa Barbara,[10] who is an advisor for the Starshot project.

Components

Each StarChip nanocraft is expected to carry miniaturized cameras, navigation gear, communication equipment, photon thrusters and a power supply. In addition, each nanocraft would be fitted with a meter-scale lightsail, made of lightweight materials, with a gram-scale mass.[1][2][3][4][7][8][11][12]

Cameras

Four sub-gram scale digital cameras, each with a minimum 2-megapixels resolution, are envisioned.[1][13]

Processors

Four sub-gram scale processors are planned.[7][14]

Photon thrusters

Four sub-gram scale photon thrusters, each minimally capable of performing at a 1W diode laser level, are planned.[2][15][16]

Battery

A 150 mg atomic battery, powered by plutonium-238 or americium-241, is planned.[4][8][17]

Protective coating

A coating, possibly made of beryllium copper, is planned to protect the nanocraft from dust collisions and atomic particle erosion.[8][18]

Lightsail

The lightsail is envisioned to be no larger than 4 by 4 meters (13 by 13 feet),[1][19] possibly of composite graphene-based material.[1][3][4][8][12][20] The material would have to be very thin and, somehow, be able to reflect the laser beam without absorbing any of its thermal energy, or it will vaporize the sail.[1][4][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Gilster, Paul (12 April 2016). "Breakthrough Starshot: Mission to Alpha Centauri". Centauri Dreams. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Greene, Kate (13 April 2016). "What Will Make Interstellar Travel a Reality?". Slate (magazine). Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Clery, Daniel (12 April 2016). "Russian billionaire unveils big plan to build tiny interstellar spacecraft". Science (journal). doi:10.1126/science.aaf4115. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Overbye, Dennis (12 April 2016). "A Visionary Project Aims for Alpha Centauri, a Star 4.37 Light-Years Away". New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b Stone, Maddie (12 April 2016). "Stephen Hawking and a Russian Billionaire Want to Build an Interstellar Starship". Gizmodo. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrough Starshot". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Domonoske, Camila (12 April 2016). "Forget Starships: New Proposal Would Use 'Starchips' To Visit Alpha Centauri". NPR. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e Emspak, Jesse (15 April 2016). "No Breakthrough Yet: Stephen Hawking's Interstellar 'Starshot' Faces Challenges". Space.com. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  9. ^ Chang, Kenneth (24 August 2016). "One Star Over, a Planet That Might Be Another Earth". New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  10. ^ Lubin, Philip (April 2015). "A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight" (PDF). University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  11. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrough Starshot: Potential Challenges". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  12. ^ a b Staff (16 April 2016). "Starship enterprise". The Economist. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  13. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrouth Starshot: Gram-Scale Starchip Components - 4 Cameras". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  14. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrouth Starshot: Gram-Scale Starchip Components - 4 Processors". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  15. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrouth Starshot: Gram-Scale Starchip Components - 4 Photon Thrusters". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  16. ^ Gilster, Paul (21 October 2013). "Laser Travel by Photonic Thruster". Centauri Dreams. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  17. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrouth Starshot: Gram-Scale Starchip Components - Battery". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  18. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrouth Starshot: Gram-Scale Starchip Components - Protective Coating". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  19. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrough Starshot: Lightsail, Integrity under thrust". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  20. ^ Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrouth Starshot: Gram-Scale Starchip Components - Lightsail - Structure". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  21. ^ Patel, Neel V. (15 April 2016). "The Starshot Breakthrough Light Beam Is Really a Million Lasers, Which Is Insane". Inverse. Retrieved 16 April 2016.

External links

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