NASA has recently revealed that it will work hand in hand with the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking in building a nano-starship to Alpha Centauri which has the ability of traveling one-fifth the speed of light. Experts say that if the plan becomes a success, the ship, called "StarChip" could reach Earth's closest star system, Alpha Centauri, in 20 years. It was found that the project has also included Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner among its backers.
StarChip: Will It Be Able To Save The Human Race?
According to reports revealed by Independent, Stephen Hawking announced the Breakthrough Starshot project in April, for which he is joined by a team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. But whether the craft could survive a two decade-long trip remained in question. And that's where NASA plays it's role. Researchers have explained that high-energy radiation in space could cause the ship to cease functionality well before the 20-year trip was over.
Furthermore, as per Daily Mail, it was found that astronomers have estimated that there is a reasonable chance of an Earth-like planet existing in the 'habitable zones' of Alpha Centauri's three-star system. Additionally, a new study conducted by NASA researchers and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has revealed that self-healing silicon chips could be used to prolong the life of the tiny spacecraft.
Meanwhile, the renowned physicist claims that Earth is a wonderful place, but it might not last forever. Hence, the breakthrough study on Starshot in indeed very exciting for the one's concerned. With light beams, light sails and the lightest spacecraft ever built we can launch a mission to Alpha Centauri within a generation. Ultimately, it was found that the findings were presented at the International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco last week.