propel

Space & Cosmos

Relativistic electron beam could propel spacecraft to Alpha Centauri, study suggests

Diagram of the electron beam statite used in the study. Credit: arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2407.09414 Getting a spaceship to another star is a tremendous challenge. But that doesn’t stop people from working on it. The most prominent groups currently doing so are Breakthrough Starshot and Tau Zero Foundation, both of which focus on very specific types of propulsion beam power.…