StarChip (spacecraft)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

StarChip is the name used by Breakthrough Initiatives for a very small centimeter-sized, gram-scale, interstellar spacecraft envisioned for the Breakthrough Starshot program,[1][2] a proposed mission to propel a fleet of a thousand StarChips on a journey to the Alpha Centauri star system, the nearest extrasolar stars, about 4.37 light-years from Earth.[3][4][5][6][7][8] The ultra-light StarChip robotic nanocrafts, fitted with lightsails, are planned to travel at speeds of 20%[1][4][5][6] and 15%[6] of the speed of light, taking between 20 to 30 years to reach the star system, respectively, and about 4 years to notify Earth of a successful arrival.[4] The conceptual principles to enable practical interstellar travel were described in "A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight", by Philip Lubin of UC Santa Barbara,[9] who is an advisor for the Starshot project.

Components

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Each StarChip nanocraft is expected to carry miniaturized cameras, navigation gear, communication equipment, photon thrusters and a power supply. In addition, each nanocraft would be fitted with a meter-scale lightsail, made of lightweight materials, with a gram-scale mass.[1][2][3][4][7][8][10][11]

Cameras

Four sub-gram scale digital cameras, each with a minimum 2-megapixels resolution, are envisioned.[1][12]

Processors

Four sub-gram scale processors are planned.[7][13]

Photon thrusters

Four sub-gram scale photon thrusters, each minimally capable of performing at a 1W diode laser level, are planned.[2][14][15]

Battery

A 150 mg atomic battery, powered by plutonium-238 or americium-241, is planned.[4][8][16]

Protective coating

A coating, possibly made of beryllium copper, is planned to protect the nanocraft from dust collisions and atomic particle erosion.[8][17]

Lightsail

The lightsail is envisioned to be no larger than 4 by 4 meters (13 by 13 feet),[1][18] possibly of composite graphene-based material.[1][3][4][8][11][19] The material would have to be very thin and, somehow, be able to reflect the laser beam without absorbing any of its thermal energy, or it will vaporize the sail.[1][4][20]

See also

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Stub icon

This spacecraft or satellite related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=StarChip_(spacecraft)&oldid=717376112"