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Alpha Centauri

All articles tagged with #alpha centauri

Red Dwarfs: The Galaxy's Quiet, Long-Lived Stars
space13 hours ago

Red Dwarfs: The Galaxy's Quiet, Long-Lived Stars

Red dwarfs are the longest‑lived stars—potentially around 10 trillion years—thanks to slow hydrogen fusion and a convective interior that reuses fuel; they make up about three‑quarters of stars, including nearby Proxima Centauri, which hosts Earthlike Proxima b. While such systems could harbor habitable worlds, tidal locking and stellar flares complicate life, though a distant greenhouse effect could help; in any case, red dwarfs will dominate the galaxy’s stellar population long after larger stars fade.

via Defector|
#alpha-centauri#exoplanets#habitable-zone
Laser sails could reach Alpha Centauri in decades, while Proxima b’s life status remains unresolved
science14 days ago

Laser sails could reach Alpha Centauri in decades, while Proxima b’s life status remains unresolved

Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system at 4.24 light-years, remains unreachable with today’s tech—Voyager-like speeds would take about 75,000 years to Proxima Centauri, while a laser-sail concept like Breakthrough Starshot could reach in decades but faces major engineering hurdles (huge lasers, durable sails, long-lasting electronics, and reliable communication). Proxima b sits in the habitable zone, but that does not guarantee water, atmosphere, or life, and atmospheric loss could be significant; no confirmed signs of life exist. In short, a tiny robotic probe might someday reach Alpha Centauri, but a real second Earth there is not yet proven.

via Space Daily|
#alpha-centauri#breakthrough-starshot#interstellar-travel
Gram-scale lightsail eyes 20-year voyage to Alpha Centauri
space18 days ago

Gram-scale lightsail eyes 20-year voyage to Alpha Centauri

A Space Daily piece outlines Breakthrough Starshot's concept: a gram‑scale payload on an ultrathin lightsail accelerated by a ground‑based laser array to about 0.2c, enabling a flight to Alpha Centauri in a little over 20 years. The plan hinges on building the laser, sail, and communications systems, plus solving beam stability, navigation, and decades‑long durability challenges. Even if launched, data would take years to return—about 26 years after launch—since a transmission from Proxima Centauri to Earth adds another 4.2 years. No launch date is set; the concept remains a physics‑proof, research program rather than an imminent mission.

via Space Daily|
#alpha-centauri#breakthrough-starshot#interstellar-travel
Laser-Propelled Metajets Point Toward a 20-Year Alpha Centauri Runway
space3 months ago

Laser-Propelled Metajets Point Toward a 20-Year Alpha Centauri Runway

Texas A&M researchers demonstrated laser-driven metajets—ultrathin, patterned devices—that can be steered in three dimensions by transferring photon momentum, with potential to scale to larger craft and, given enough laser power, enable a ~20-year voyage to Alpha Centauri; experiments were conducted in a fluid environment to observe controllable motion and microgravity tests are planned for space readiness.

via Gizmodo|
#alpha-centauri#laser-propulsion#light-propulsion
Laser-Powered Metajets Hint at 20-Year Alpha Centauri Trip
space-and-astronomy4 months ago

Laser-Powered Metajets Hint at 20-Year Alpha Centauri Trip

Texas A&M researchers report a lab demonstration of micron-scale metajets with metasurfaces that can be steered in three dimensions by laser light; they say the concept could be scaled to propel larger spacecraft, potentially enabling a 20-year journey to Alpha Centauri, though real-world feasibility and space testing remain to be proven.

via Yahoo Tech|
#alpha-centauri#interstellar-travel#laser-propulsion
Micron-scale Metajets Open Door to 3D Light Propulsion
space4 months ago

Micron-scale Metajets Open Door to 3D Light Propulsion

Texas A&M researchers demonstrated micron-scale metajets—metasurface-based devices that transfer momentum from light to lift and steer objects in 3D without contact—marking a scalable path for light-propulsion and potential interstellar missions to Alpha Centauri, contingent on sufficient optical power and funding; space-testing is the next step after fluid experiments that offset gravity.

via Interesting Engineering|
#alpha-centauri#interstellar-travel#light-propulsion