Fermi Explorer: Building the First Mission to Another Star?

• The Fermi Explorer mission aims to send a 1 kilogram, 10X10X10 cm payload to the barycenter of the binary system Alpha Centauri, which is 4.365 light years from the Sun. The mission is expected to launch before the end of 2029 and cost less than $15 million. The spacecraft will take about 1.5 years to reach Earth orbit, then use Oberth maneuvers to escape the Sun's gravity well. It will take until 2043 to depart the Solar System. The mission emphasizes flight-proven hardware and minimal research and development. The spacecraft will carry a copy of the Voyager Golden Record and similar materials. The mission is open to public tendering and open-source design. The technical report titled "Interstellar Precursor Mission to Alpha Centauri: Technical Feasibility Assessment" was prepared by PSI’s Autonomous Physics-Research Platform, which used AI to design the trajectory. The report claims to be produced by an AI system without human peer review. The mission is seen as a symbolic act, with the intention of demonstrating human capability in interstellar travel. The spacecraft will be too small to track and will lose power once it leaves the Solar System. The mission is being funded through crowdfunding, with the hope that enough people will become interested to help. The mission is considered a significant step in interstellar exploration, highlighting the potential of AI and the feasibility of interstellar travel with current technology.

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