Alpha Centauri

Light sails may open a path to the stars – but LHS 1140b is still hundreds of years away

Light sails may open a path to the stars – but LHS 1140b is still hundreds of years away

The discovery of an atmosphere around the rocky planet LHS 1140b has brought the possibility of sending tiny spacecraft to other solar systems back into the headlines. Miniaturized electronics, light sails, and powerful laser arrays are making the idea a research topic
Conceptual illustration of a diffractive solar sail.

Hidden physics complicates the dream of launching sailing spacecraft to other stars

A new theoretical study points to another problem with interstellar light sails: As they approach relativistic speeds, the Doppler effect and the deflection of light reduce the efficiency of the thrust. In one of the weakest contributions of light, even
Chrysalis could house several generations of humans by the time it reaches Alpha Centauri, where it could land passengers on the surface of the planet Proxima Centauri b. (Credit: Giacomo Infelise, Veronica Magli, Guido Sbrogio', Nevenka Martinello, and Federica Chiara Serpe)

Chrysalis: The spaceship that will carry 2,400 passengers on a one-way, 400-year journey to Alpha Centauri

A revolutionary design by young engineers proposes a giant ship 58 kilometers long, which will accommodate generations of colonists on their way to an Earth-like planet in the Alpha Centauri system.
Artist illustration of a super-Earth-type planet. Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/Tim Pyle

Can there be extraterrestrial life in the neighbors? Looking for planets around Alpha Centauri

NASA's Breakthrough Initiative, Saber Astronautic, and JPL have announced Project Tolliman, a project to find out whether the nearest stars have planets that could support life