Starshot - Probes To Alpha Centauri

[Nefaro]

Pretty sure there was a post about the 'Starshot' announcement, recently, but couldn't find our discussion in the forums.


http://www.space.com/32558-starshot-interstellar-probes-alien-life-solar-system.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/science/alpha-centauri-breakthrough-starshot-yuri-milner-stephen-hawking.html?_r=0

I recall mentioning the problem with sending such solar sail style craft to Alpha Centauri of not being able to decelerate once they arrive.  I guess they plan on just blasting a huge amount of them through, each taking a few quick pics of planets on their way through & sending them back. 


Anyway.. noticed the following PBS Space Time vid pop up on the subject yesterday:

[Staggerwing]

Hopefully they send the probes out so they turn and make an angled approach from far out. No point in posting an 'Open Buffet' sign straight back to earth until we have BFGs for our Space Marines.

[Barthheart]

They could always just follow the beam of pictures returning to Earth....

[Pete Dero]

There are already many possibilities with current and near future technology.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/earth-size-planets-discovered-around-nearby-dwarf-star/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=sky-mya-nl-160506&utm_content=842852_SKY_HP_eNL_160506&utm_medium=email

But habitable or not, what's so fun about these planets is that they're only 40 light-years away. That means they're close enough that astronomers can study their atmospheres in detail.