Carbon foam probes could reach the Alfa Centauri. It would only take 185 years
In the latest scientific article, astrophysicists argue that space probes made of carbon foam, at least in theory, can reach the Alpha Centauri system from Earth in just 185 years, assuming only that they are powered by solar radiation. A swarm of such probes could also help discover and study the mysterious Planet 9 (if it exists at all).
Conventional rockets are powered by chemical reactions, which are the main source of propulsion for spacecraft. Unfortunately, they are also not efficient enough to reach another star in one human lifetime.
Alpha Centauri, the closest star system, is 4.37 light-years away, or about 41 trillion km from Earth. If Voyager 1 were to fly straight towards it, it would need 75,000 years to travel that distance.
On the sail to the stars
Essentially, the problem with conventionally powered probes comes down to the fact that the fuel they use has a mass. Long journeys require a lot of fuel, making the probe heavier, which in turn makes it even more fuel-intensive, etc. The larger the probe, the more serious the problem.
Some time ago, researchers suggested that the optimal, and perhaps the only solution, is sailing on light radiation. Although the solar radiation pressure itself is not high, in the long run it may be enough to accelerate the space probe.
As part of the Breakthrough Starshot initiative announced in 2016, researchers are trying to develop a technology to send a swarm of miniature probes towards the Alpha Centauri system. Each probe, only a few grams, is to be equipped with an incredibly thin and reflective sail. Probes accelerated to the speed of 20 percent. the speed of light could reach its destination in about 20 years.
In this case, the problem is to accelerate the probe to the planned speed. According to preliminary concepts, researchers would have to build the most powerful laser on Earth, which could use its beam directed at these sails to accelerate them up to 20 percent. the speed of light. The cost of implementing such a project would be in the amount of $ 10 billion.
Solar powered airbrush spheres
The latest fire tykule astrophysicists proposed a slightly cheaper option, according to which the probe will be made of carbon foam. Such probes could traverse interstellar distances faster than any rocket, and would be powered solely by solar radiation, without the need to build a specialized laser.
In order to develop a novel propulsion system for interstellar probes, researchers began looking for durable and, above all, lightweight materials. They focused on airbrushite, carbon foam 15,000 times lighter than aluminum.
Scientists calculated that a hollow aerographite sphere 1 meter in diameter and 1 micron thick would have a mass of only 2.3 mg.
These numbers look good
If such a probe with a mass of 1 g was released from a distance of 1 astronomical unit (AU) from the Sun, solar radiation would accelerate it to a speed of 183,600 km / h, which is three times the speed of Voyager 1. Such a probe would be able to reach Pluto in less than 4 years (for comparison, the New Horizons probe needed 10 years).
However, if such a probe were to be released at a distance of 0.04 AU from the Sun, which is the distance the Parker Solar Probe will approach the Sun, more intense solar radiation could accelerate the probe to a speed of 25 million km / h. At this speed, the probe could cover the distance from Earth to Proxima Centauri in just 185 years. As a rule, the larger the sphere, the faster it could fly or the greater the charge it could take with it.
It is amazing that our sun could drive an interstellar probe, which could thus reach another star without the need for any other drive.
Says Rene Heller, an astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen.
Researchers admit that a few grams of electronics is a significant reduction in the weight of the charge. On the other hand, it is still 10 times the mass of the probe itself, while the charge on chemical-powered rockets would account for only a thousandth of the mass of the rocket.
According to scientists, the development of a prototype of an airbrush probe will cost about $ 1 million. Each new ship can be built for less than $ 1,000. If we add to this the cost of the rocket that they will be launched into space, the cost will be about $ 10 million.
The problem, however, is that so far no one has built an airbrush structure larger than a few centimeters, and here you need a sphere with a diameter of several meters
– adds Heller.
In addition, to think about such probes seriously, you need to think about how you can correct the trajectory of such a probe. If this problem is also solved, it will theoretically be possible to transport small loads – 1 to 100 g – between Mars and Earth in just a few weeks.
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Carbon foam probes could reach the Alfa Centauri. It would only take 185 years
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