SETI & Technosignatures

Interstellar Probes: The Benefits to Astronomy and Astrophysics

By Keith Cowing
Press Release
physics.pop-ph
January 14, 2019
Filed under
Interstellar Probes: The Benefits to Astronomy and Astrophysics
Breakthrough Starshot
Breakthrough Starshot

Long range observations in the field of astronomy have opened up our understanding of the Solar System, the Galaxy and the wider Universe. In this paper we discuss the idea of direct in-situ reconnaissance of nearby stellar systems, using robotic probes.

In particular, we consider what additional knowledge can be learned that can only be obtained by such close encounters.

This may include calibration of existing measurements, detailed observations of stellar winds, astrometry measurements of stellar parallax, refinement of our understanding of physics through the use of long baseline interferometers. In addition, getting close to an exoplanet will enable detailed knowledge of planetary interiors, surface processes, geological evolution, atmospheric composition and climate, internal seismology, detailed surface morphology and even the speculative possibility of detecting the presence of microbial life, detailed palaeontology or even indigenous life-forms.

We argue that astronomical remote sensing should be pursued in parallel with in-situ reconnaissance missions by robotic probes, so that both can enhance the discoveries and performance of the other. This work is in support of Project Starshot; an effort to send a Gram-scale probe towards another star at 0.2c within the next two decades, and return images and other data to the Earth. Presented at the 47th IAA Symposium on Future Space Astronomy and Solar System Science Missions. Session on Space Agency Strategies and Plans.

Kelvin F Long
(Submitted on 11 Jan 2019)

Comments: 7 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, Presented at 47th IAA Symposium on Future Space Astronomy & Solar System Missions. Submitted to Acta Astronautica 19th December 2018
Subjects: Popular Physics (physics.pop-ph); Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)
Cite as: arXiv:1901.04422 [physics.pop-ph] (or arXiv:1901.04422v1 [physics.pop-ph] for this version)
Submission history
From: Kelvin F Long [view email]
[v1] Fri, 11 Jan 2019 17:21:45 UTC (315 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.04422
Astrobiology, SETI, Interstellar,

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻