![]() ![]() "The idea of a light sail has been around for some time, but we're just now figuring out how to make sure those designs survive the trip. "Reaching another star within our lifetimes is going to require relativistic speed, or something approaching the speed of light," corresponding author Igor Bargatin said. One paper details the construction of the parachute-like sails. The researchers published two papers in the journal Nano Letters that outline some of those fundamental specifications. It would need the durability to withstand almost unfathomable light intensity from the lasers that power the vessel. Preventing the sail from tearing or melting presents a major design challenge. It would include an array of powerful lasers, carry a microchip-sized probe, and travel at a fifth of the speed of light - fast enough to travel to Alpha Centauri in about 20 years instead of the 80,000 years it would take a rocket to make the trip. The principle behind the size, shape and material is to create a sail made of nanoscopically thin material. The team, inspired by sailboats and parachutes, undertook the task of designing a prototype interstellar sail. National Science Foundation grantee astronomers based at The University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Los Angeles concluded that if spacecraft are to withstand interstellar travel, a laser-powered light sail that billows during acceleration and can endure the light of a million suns is a key requirement. ![]()
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