directed energy
A Novel Propulsion System Would Hurl Hypervelocity Pellets at a Spacecraft to Speed it up
A new proposal for a pellet-beam spacecraft could enable interstellar missions and a Solar Gravitational Lens in a matter of…
Laser-Powered Sails Would be Great for Exploring the Solar System too
A new study from UCLA shows how laser-driven light sails could be a cost-effective method for exploring the Solar System…
Lasers Could Send Missions to Mars in Only 45 Days
New research from McGill University shows that a powerful laser array could propel a fusion-engine spacecraft to Mars in a…
What’s the Best Way to Communicate With an Interstellar Probe When it’s Light-Years Away From Earth?
A new study by an international team of scientists addressed a major challenge with interstellar missions: how to send and…
How Will we Receive Signals From Interstellar Probes, Like Starshot?
A new study takes a look at the challenges of sending and receiving data over interstellar distances using tight-beam lasers
Prototype of a Future Interstellar Probe was Just Tested on a Balloon
Researchers with the UCSB Experimental Cosmology Group recently conducted a successful stratospheric test of their wafercraft, which could be traveling…
What is the Death Ray?
First proposed in the early 20th century, and a staple of science fiction for over a century, the concept of…
What’s the Most Stable Shape for an Interstellar Lightsail?
A recent study by an international team of scientists looked at Project Starshot and assessed the likelihood of its success,…
Shields Up, Mr. Sulu! Cruising At 20% Speed Of Light Has Some Inherent Risks
A recent study by funded by Starshot attempts to address one of the biggest challenges in interstellar travel - the…
Prof. Lubin Wants to Send Our Digital Selves to the Stars
Prof. Lupin of UCSB recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to create "Voices of Humanity", a project aimed at equipping all…