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This is the kind of stuff that makes me want to live for a very long time. I want to see this project come to fruition.

I want to see what they find.

Stephen Hawking joins futuristic bid to explore outer space | The Seattle Times

From the article:

"Yuri Milner said the eventual goal is sending hundreds or thousands of tiny spacecraft, each weighing far less than an ounce, to the Alpha Centauri star system. That’s more than 2,000 times as far as any spacecraft has gone so far.

Propelled by energy from a powerful array of Earth-based lasers, the spacecraft would fly at about one-fifth the speed of light. They could reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years, where they could make observations and send the results back to Earth."

LarsMac;1494611 wrote: This is the kind of stuff that makes me want to live for a very long time. I want to see this project come to fruition.

I want to see what they find.

Stephen Hawking joins futuristic bid to explore outer space | The Seattle Times

From the article:

"Yuri Milner said the eventual goal is sending hundreds or thousands of tiny spacecraft, each weighing far less than an ounce, to the Alpha Centauri star system. That’s more than 2,000 times as far as any spacecraft has gone so far.

Propelled by energy from a powerful array of Earth-based lasers, the spacecraft would fly at about one-fifth the speed of light. They could reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years, where they could make observations and send the results back to Earth."


I was just looking at :-

Hawking backs interstellar travel project - BBC News

Auntie Beeb reckons thirty years but what's the odd decade between friends?

LarsMac;1494611 wrote: This is the kind of stuff that makes me want to live for a very long time. I want to see this project come to fruition.

I want to see what they find.

Stephen Hawking joins futuristic bid to explore outer space | The Seattle Times

From the article:

"Yuri Milner said the eventual goal is sending hundreds or thousands of tiny spacecraft, each weighing far less than an ounce, to the Alpha Centauri star system. That’s more than 2,000 times as far as any spacecraft has gone so far.

Propelled by energy from a powerful array of Earth-based lasers, the spacecraft would fly at about one-fifth the speed of light. They could reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years, where they could make observations and send the results back to Earth."


Interesting concept, I like it.

Now lets see.

They could reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years, where they could make observations and send the results back to Earth.


Twenty years there then we wait another 4.35, , years. for the results.

I am willing to wait to see just how a bottle of a bottle of OLD NO. 7 smooths out. Will cigars be legal then?

"Make it so "

Maybe some of that intelligent life that I KNOW is out there will see us taking our baby steps and help us to hurry it along. Or if you believe in reincarnation . . . .

I have no idea how they think these things will communicate back. Has anyone a thought on that? Each craft weighs under an ounce. Is a low-power laser channel seriously going to be seen from several light years off?

I reckon they will send pigeons in space suits back although I would imagine it would be rather difficult to affix a written note on the bird's leg. Who would be around to write the message anyway ? It just won't happen will it !?

spot;1494622 wrote: I have no idea how they think these things will communicate back. Has anyone a thought on that? Each craft weighs under an ounce. Is a low-power laser channel seriously going to be seen from several light years off?


They'll just have to find a phone booth, or something.

I am more concerned how somebody/anybody can find a spare $100 million to put into such a project, there must be more pressing earthly *cough* challenges

Bruv;1494628 wrote: I am more concerned how somebody/anybody can find a spare $100 million to put into such a project, there must be more pressing earthly *cough* challenges


Compare it to our military budget and it's loose change.

We waste more money each year on blocked beds in the NHS.

We give many times that to the world's fifth largest economy in aid.



There are many other places to get the money for our earthly challenges.

Bryn Mawr;1494630 wrote: Compare it to our military budget and it's loose change.

We waste more money each year on blocked beds in the NHS.

We give many times that to the world's fifth largest economy in aid.



There are many other places to get the money for our earthly challenges.


You are talking national expenditure, the article says, and I quote "an Internet investor announced that he’s spending $100 million on a futuristic plan to explore far outside our solar system"

'An' Internet investor, not a consortium or country, my mind is boggled.

Bruv;1494632 wrote: You are talking national expenditure, the article says, and I quote "an Internet investor announced that he’s spending $100 million on a futuristic plan to explore far outside our solar system"

'An' Internet investor, not a consortium or country, my mind is boggled.


He owns most of Facebook and is a multi-billionaire so it's more like you or I investing ten grand.

Like me investing £100 maybe.

Jones Jones (Jj) would love this post! It is right down his alley. Just saying for all of us Earthlings. :-6

Lady J;1494644 wrote: Jones Jones (Jj) would love this post! It is right down his alley. Just saying for all of us Earthlings. :-6


Wonderful to see you :-6

I hope everything is good in your life?