Key facts
- Starcloud founders have proposed the Fermi Explorer mission to send a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri.
- The mission aims to be the first human-built object explicitly aimed for another star.
- The spacecraft will carry a 10 cm square payload weighing 1 kilogram.
- The mission is intended to cost approximately $15 million and launch in 2029.
- The journey to Alpha Centauri is projected to take 80,000 years, utilizing existing space technologies.
- The non-profit behind the mission is seeking partners, donations, and advice.
The founders of Starcloud, a company initially focused on space-based data centers, have unveiled a new ambitious project: the Fermi Explorer. This non-profit initiative aims to send a small spacecraft on an 80,000-year journey to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth. The mission, if successful, would mark the first time a human-built object is explicitly sent to another star and would be the sixth human-made object to leave our solar system.
The Fermi Explorer plans to utilize proven space technologies rather than developing novel propulsion systems, differentiating it from previous interstellar concepts like Breakthrough Starshot. The spacecraft will have a compact payload of 1 kilogram and is designed to be active for approximately 12 years before coasting for the remainder of its journey. The founders believe that the spacecraft's metallic structure can withstand the expected radiation environment for the duration of the mission.
The mission is estimated to cost around $15 million and is slated for a 2029 launch. The non-profit is actively soliciting vendors for vehicle construction, seeking funding, and inviting proposals for scientific and artistic payloads, drawing parallels to NASA's Voyager probes. The mission's name is inspired by the Fermi paradox, which questions the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial life.