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World's Smallest Spacecraft Is Prelude to Enormous Voyage
- wristmittens 9y ago> In addition to perfecting the StarChip itself, the initiative will need to develop sophisticated communications systems capable of transmitting data over interstellar distances, as well as durable light sails to attach to the chips and gigantic lasers to generate the light energy to push the sails. So really this is an announcement about a microchip they launched into space, while propulsion and communication still need to be created.
- branchan 9y agoThis is somewhat old news. This was originally started back in 2011 by a Cornell researcher through kickstarter, called KickSat: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacinaction/kicksat-your-personal-spacecraft-in-space https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacinaction/kicksat-you... The spacecraft was supposed carry a number of these sprites inside and launch them out once in orbit. However, there was a malfunction in the spacecraft and it burned back up in the atmosphere without launching any.