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NASA Selects a Wild Plan to "Swarm" Proxima Centauri With Thousands of Tiny Probes (www.sciencealert.com)

submitted 8 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/astronomy@mander.xyz

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[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The laser array is expensive but if it's continuous and spread out enough you could keep sending newer probes. Or if it's not continuous you could use it for different directions!

[–] Starfighter@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

According to Scott Manley's video on the topic the probes would need to arrive at the correct time in order to form what is effectively a huge phased array antenna.

Only then is the combined transmission power of these tiny probes large enough to be received on earth.