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Hey guys,
Stephen Hawking and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner have teamed up to research a planned 20 year voyage to our nearest stellar neighbour the Alpha Centauri star system. $100 million will be invested to test the knowhow and technologies necessary to send a featherweight robot spacecraft across the 4.73 light year distance to Alpha Centauri.
To reduce the massive costs associated with space travel they intend to use a “nanocraft”, a tiny chip containing a camera, radio transmitter and all the other necessary sensors required for the journey. This would only weigh a few grams and would be accelerated up to on fifth the speed of light using a battery of lasers to push on a small solar sail attached to the nanocraft.
What do you guys think of this? A massive waste of money or a worthwhile investment in the future?
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I'm all for it myself though I won't be around for the journey end. Mankind will always look to explore space looking for possible signs of life on other world's. Who knows, one day we may need to colonise another planet....
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If our species survives (and that's debatable), we're going to use up all our natural resources sooner or later, so we may as well start looking to see if there's somewhere else we can go. How we actually get there is another matter.
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@Beenherebefore wrote:
@Bambino wrote:If our species survives (and that's debatable), we're going to use up all our natural resources sooner or later, so we may as well start looking to see if there's somewhere else we can go. How we actually get there is another matter.
There's a bloke in Syria that may be able to help.
I have his number.....
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Not sure I have any major feelings for it at all if honest. I just hope the 'chip' gets it right. A hell of a lot of money to lose if not...
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If this was a manned flight and they were looking for volunteers I would be composing a letter as we speak!
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@Bambino Agreed if the population continues to increase at the current rate were going to need to expand sooner rather then later although I think it will be closer to home then Alpha Centauri. Something like the space station from the movie Elysium or a moon base.
@Cleoriff Your right it's a hell of a lot of money but hopefully even if the mission is not successful the technologies developed will have other applications.
@jonsie Did you consider signing up for the Mars One program?
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No I didn't @Martin-O2 as I'm guessing would have been a mitigating factor.
I'm waiting until they ship all us old folk to a massive lunar residential care home....
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@jonsie wrote:
No I didn't @Martin-O2 as I'm guessing would have been a mitigating factor.
I'm waiting until they ship all us old folk to a massive lunar residential care home....
Not a bad idea as the low gravity would help with mobility! 
Plus the views would be amazing.
