AssetID: 55971108
Headline: Scientists plan to launch humanity's first interstellar spacecraft to Alpha Centauri by 2029
Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE** BY MARK WORGAN A group of scientists is planning to launch humanity’s first interstellar spacecraft by as early as 2029. The Fermi Explorer Mission, a new nonprofit, has unveiled its attempt to reach our nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, 4.37 light years away. Unlike Elon Musk’s efforts to get humanity to Mars, the team claims they do not need billions of dollars or propulsion breakthroughs they fear may take generations to develop. Instead, the nonprofit is designing around flight-proven electric propulsion and the constraints of what can be built today. The catch? The unmanned craft’s journey to Alpha Centauri is expected to take roughly 80,000 years. However, they argue that timeline is not an argument against the mission but a reason to begin now. Philip Johnston, Co-Founder & President of The Fermi Explorer Mission, says: “We hope to be both the first to leave and the last to arrive at Alpha Centauri. None of us will be here when this journey ends, and that is the point. It's about taking the first achievable step and inspiring future generations to keep pushing beyond the limits we inherited.” Satellite manufacturers will be invited to bid on the mission and design a craft that can launch by 2029, carry a 1kg payload, reach Alpha Centauri within 80,000 years, and cost less than $15 million to design, build, launch, and operate. The Fermi Explorer team has designed a feasible mission profile around existing technology, though they are open to new ideas from the satellite manufacturers. They plan to hold a three-month solicitation period for proposals for scientific and artistic payloads to be added to the mission. The mission also plans to include a copy of the Golden Record place aboard the Voyager spacecrafts, the only human-made objects to date that have passed into interstellar space. It will also carry messages from children around the world for future civilisations. Fermi Explorer plans to open-source its research, analysis, data, and simulation tools so scientists, engineers, educators, students, and curious contributors can test assumptions, improve the mission, and propose useful science for the journey. The mission has picked up some high profile early supporters, including Rob Meyerson, former President of Blue Origin, and Alex Wissner-Gross, MIT physicist and investor. The organisation is inviting people to participate by either donating to the mission and/or contributing research and technical expertise, scientific and artistic proposals. “The most inspiring part of this mission is that people do not have to wait for permission or perfect conditions,” said Garrett Jameson, former US Air Force officer who leads day-to-day execution. “We can embrace the constraints, build what is possible now, and give the next generation something meaningful to build upon.” Learn more, contribute, or follow the mission at fermiexplorer.org.
Keywords: feature,photo,video,space,spacecraft,science,alpha centauri,stars,musk
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