00:00A particularly impressive example is the Breakthrough Starshot project,
00:03which has been in development since 2016 and aims to accelerate small space probes
00:08to up to 20% of the speed of light. In this process, a gigawatt laser on earth is used
00:15to
00:15propel an ultralight sail with a mass of only a few grams. This is equipped with tiny cameras and
00:23communications equipment. The idea is that these probes could reach Alpha Centauri in
00:29about 20 years, providing the first image of an extra solar system. However, the project requires
00:37precise alignment of the laser and an extremely thin yet robust sail structure,
00:42which makes the technical implementation an enormous challenge.
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