Spacecraft made from ultra-thin foam might be developed by scientists that could potentially reach the nearest neighboring star, Proxima Centauri. According to Newsweek's latest report, the scientists' hypothetical spacecraft made from an extremely thin layer of synthetic foam can possibly reach Earth's closest neighboring star, Proxima Centauri, in just about 185 years.
Photons release its energy and momentum to the object it collides to, giving it a tiny push. Because of the weight of the object, the packages of energy can only make a small impact. However, if the object is an ultralight material, just like aerographit, photons can push it, creating significant speed.
"We found out that a thin layer of aerographite, with a thickness of about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches), can be pushed to speeds that are sufficiently high to let it escape the solar system," said Rene.
"Once it has gained an initial push from the solar radiation pressure, it will simply float through space," he added.
The scientists claimed that if the spacecraft released from Earth only has a shell, which is just 0.5 millimeters thick, it can reach Mars in about 60 days and Pluto in just 4.3 years compared to the time it took New Horizons.Heller said that the spaceship could be faster than any spacecraft that was launched by any space agencies currently. Spacecraft uses solar photon sails made of graphene that could travel 100 kilometers per second or even 100 kilometers per second. For more exciting space theories, keep your tabs at TechTimes.
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Written by: Giuliano de Leon.
