StarChip (spacecraft)

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gilster, Paul (12 April 2016). "Breakthrough Starshot: Mission to Alpha Centauri". Centauri Dreams. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Greene, Kate (13 April 2016). "What Will Make Interstellar Travel a Reality?". Slate (magazine). Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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. 1 2 Stone, Maddie (12 April 2016). "Stephen Hawking and a Russian Billionaire Want to Build an Interstellar Starship". Gizmodo. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Staff (12 April 2016). "Breakthrough Starshot". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Domonoske, Camila (12 April 2016). "Forget Starships: New Proposal Would Use 'Starchips' To Visit Alpha Centauri". NPR. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 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.
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