3 ms·
But also from TFA, the lasers will stop after the spacecraft travels about ten times the distance between the Earth and moon. I think the question still stands,
by istjohn 8y ago
But also from TFA, the lasers will stop after the spacecraft travels about ten times the distance between the Earth and moon. I think the question still stands, is it possible to expect anywhere near the needed precision without some kind of active steering over the four light years (minus ten moons) of space that must be traversed? It certainly must be a limiting factor in the utility of this scheme. I can't imagine using this tech to execute a planned fly-by of an extra-solar moon, for example.
- bumholio 8y ago10 times the distance to the Moon at an average speed of 0.1c takes about two minutes. So you would launch thousands of these crafts in the general direction of the target system and hope that at least one survives the micrometeorite onslaught and passes close enough to the target planet to snatch a few pictures. Or maybe even aero brake in the very thin heliosphere or gas giant upper atmosphere and enter a highly elliptical Centauri-centric orbit. Or accidentally start an interstellar war.