One step closer to a Big Dream - Tiny satellite

The world's smallest satellite is in the orbit.

Theoretical physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking and Russian businessman Yuri Milner led the Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life Exploration Plan "Breakthrough Initiatives". In 2016, the project announced that aiming at sending ultra high-speed, world's smallest satellites to the stars of Centaurus, the nearest position from the solar system.

The project, named "Breakthrough Starshot" is on July 23, 2017, test machine of the six succeeded in sending a satellite orbit, the first step toward the large goal to reach Alpha Centauri into the next generation.

This time, the smallest chip satellite "Sprites" launched it is only 3.5 centimeters square and weighs only 4 grams.

"Researchers were aiming to break down the size restrictions of the satellite from the beginning. "It was a matter of how small the size can be made while functioning as a satellite, the question was how to get enough power and communicate with the earth with a very small amount of power."

First see the video of Starshot Animation in full

Sky and Telescope reports ~ The future goal of Breakthrough Starshot is to realize a speed of 1/5 of the speed of light, that is, a movement speed of 37,000 miles per second (about 60,000 km) in the small satellite "StarChips" similar to Sprites. "This speed allows you to fly from the moon to the Earth in less than 7 seconds. The speed of 37,000 miles per second is the speed that could not be put on satellites of any size so far.

Currently, the spacecraft that went the farthest is NASA 's Voyager 1 launched in 1977. A few years ago, It just arrived at the interstellar space which spreads among the stars outside the solar system. The speed of Voyager 1 is 61,333 km. In other words, the Breakthrough Starshot project aims at the same speed as the aircraft with a very small satellite.

Currently Sprites are on the earth's low orbit. For launch (PSLV) was used, Indian disposable launching rocket called "polar orbit launch vehicle".

Manchester says "The way that Breakthrough Starshot needs to reach the goal of" reaching Alpha Centauri "is a long way, but we will take that first step".

Starshot also is planning to release the second satellite soon.

---