Project Dragonfly

Sail to the stars

Journal article (2019)

Authors

Tobias Häfner ENSIACET
Manisha Kushwaha Cranfield University
O. Çelik Cranfield University
Filippo Bellizzi Cranfield University
Affiliation
External organisation
Alpha Centauri Light sail Interstellar mission Laser sail Magnetic sail
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Published Date

2019

Language

English

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External organisation

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the feasibility of an interstellar mission to reach the Alpha Centauri star system and delivering scientific data, using current and near-future technology. The mission baseline uses 100 GW of laser power to accelerate a spacecraft of 2750 kg to 5% the speed of light with light sail technology, resulting in a travel time of about a century. This paper explores several aspects of the mission: Possible locations of the laser infrastructure and different sail materials to achieve the required acceleration are discussed. Deceleration using a magnetic sail in the interstellar medium and in the heliosphere of the target star, taking into account mathematical models from Zubrin [6], Freeman [22] and Gros [21], is studied. Potential orbits in the star system are considered for observation and data collection. Finally, a multi-spacecraft mission architecture is presented, as it would allow for the spacecraft to be launched sequentially, thus exploiting the possibility of continuously operating the laser infrastructure.