A recent study in Nature Communications has made a significant breakthrough in developing ultra-thin lightsails that could revolutionize the way we travel to other star systems. The international team of researchers used advancements in nanotechnology to create the thinnest reflector ever produced, capable of capturing solar energy and propelling objects at incredible speeds.
The current fastest spacecraft, currently traveling to Mars takes approximately six months, but this new technology estimates that a lightsail could arrive in under two weeks. To achieve this, the researchers designed a lightsail that is 200 nanometers thick and measures 60 millimeters by 60 millimeters.
This breakthrough comes as the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative aims to build a solar sail capable of reaching Alpha Centauri in just 20 years. The goal is to travel at 15-20% of the speed of light, reducing the journey time from 4.34 years to under four decades.
While it’s difficult to predict what advancements will be made in the coming years and decades, this study marks an exciting step forward for interstellar travel. As researchers continue to push the boundaries of nanotechnology, we can look forward to significant breakthroughs that could one day make humanity a multi-star system civilization.
Source: https://www.labroots.com/trending/space/28745/ultra-thin-lightsails-era-space-exploration-2