Альфа Центавра, Центавра, Центавра ab тройная звздная система в созвездии Центавра. This artists impression shows the exoplanet Proxima b, which orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. Isobuster Pro 1.9.1.1. The double star Alpha Centauri AB appears in the image. ISWEEEP contestants tell your local News just how awesome you are Download a sample press release below To all of our winners and participantsHow Long Would It Take To Travel To The Nearest Star Weve all asked this question at some point in our lives How long would it take to travel to the starsCould it be within a persons own lifetime, and could this kind of travel become the norm someday There are many possible answers to this question some very simple, others in the realms of science fiction. But coming up with a comprehensive answer means taking a lot of things into consideration. Unfortunately, any realistic assessment is likely to produce answers that would totally discourage futurists and enthusiasts of interstellar travel. Like it or not, space is very large, and our technology is still very limited. But should we ever contemplate leaving the nest, we will have a range of options for getting to the nearest Solar Systems in our galaxy. The nearest star to Earth is our Sun, which is a fairly average star in the Hertzsprung Russell Diagrams Main Sequence. This means that it is highly stable, providing Earth with just the right type of sunlight for life to evolve on our planet. We know there are planets orbiting other stars near to our Solar System, and many of these stars are similar to our own. In the future, should mankind wish to leave the Solar System, well have a huge choice of stars we could travel to, and many could have the right conditions for life to thrive. But where would we go and how long would it take for us to get there Just remember, this is all speculative and there is currently no benchmark for interstellar trips. Step Up 3D 2010 Ita. That being said, here we go Over 2. Alpha Centauri Centauri, abbreviated Alpha Cen, Cen is the closest star system to the Solar System, being 4. Sun. Alpha Centauri A. Rigil Kentaurus Foot of the Centaur in Arabic is the fourth brightest star in the night sky as well as the brightest star in Constellation. Credit phl. upl. Nearest Star As already noted, the closest star to our Solar System is Proxima Centauri, which is why it makes the most sense to plot an interstellar mission to this system first. As part of a triple star system called Alpha Centauri, Proxima is about 4. Earth. Alpha Centauri is actually the brightest star of the three in the system part of a closely orbiting binary 4. Earth whereas Proxima Centauri the dimmest of the three is an isolated red dwarf about 0. And while interstellar travel conjures up all kinds of visions of Faster Than Light FTL travel, ranging from warp speed and wormholes to jump drives, such theories are either highly speculative such as the Alcubierre Drive or entirely the province of science fiction. Alpha Centauri 2014' title='Alpha Centauri 2014' />In all likelihood, any deep space mission will likely take generations to get there, rather than a few days or in an instantaneous flash. So, starting with one of the slowest forms of space travel, how long will it take to get to Proxima Centauri Current Methods The question of how long would it take to get somewhere in space is somewhat easier when dealing with existing technology and bodies within our Solar System. For instance, using the technology that powered the New Horizons mission which consisted of 1. Moon would take a mere 8 hours and 3. On the other hand, there is the European Space Agencys ESA SMART 1 mission, which took its time traveling to the Moon using the method of ionic propulsion. With this revolutionary technology, a variation of which has since been used by the Dawn spacecraft to reach Vesta, the SMART 1 mission took one year, one month and two weeks to reach the Moon. The distances between stars are vast, which is why star travel is so far. Read here about conventional propulsion and warp drives, plus about Breakthrough. Alpha definition, the first letter of the Greek alphabet A,. See more. So, from the speedy rocket propelled spacecraft to the economical ion drive, we have a few options for getting around local space plus we could use Jupiter or Saturn for a hefty gravitational slingshot. However, if we were to contemplate missions to somewhere a little more out of the way, we would have to scale up our technology and look at whats really possible. When we say possible methods, we are talking about those that involve existing technology, or those that do not yet exist, but are technically feasible. Some, as you will see, are time honored and proven, while others are emerging or still on the board. In just about all cases though, they present a possible, but extremely time consuming or expensive, scenario for getting to even the closest starsIonic Propulsion Currently, the slowest form of propulsion, and the most fuel efficient, is the ion engine. A few decades ago, ionic propulsion was considered to be the subject of science fiction. However, in recent years, the technology to support ion engines has moved from theory to practice in a big way. The ESAs SMART 1 mission for example successfully completed its mission to the Moon after taking a 1. Earth. SMART 1 used solar powered ion thrusters, where electrical energy was harvested from its solar panels and used to power its Hall effect thrusters. Only 8. 2 kg of xenon propellant was used to propel SMART 1 to the Moon. This is a highly efficient form of propulsion, but it is by no means fast. Artists concept of Dawn mission above Ceres. Since its arrival, the spacecraft turned around to point the blue glow of its ion engine in the opposite direction. Image credit NASAJPLOne of the first missions to use ion drive technology was the Deep Space 1 mission to Comet Borrelly that took place in 1. DS1 also used a xenon powered ion drive, consuming 8. Over 2. 0 months of thrusting, DS1 was managed to reach a velocity of 5. Screen6.JPG' alt='Alpha Centauri 2014' title='Alpha Centauri 2014' />Ion thrusters are therefore more economical than rocket technology, as the thrust per unit mass of propellant a. But it takes a long time for ion thrusters to accelerate spacecraft to any great speeds, and the maximum velocity it can achieve is dependent on its fuel supply and how much electrical energy it can generate. So if ionic propulsion were to be used for a mission to Proxima Centauri, the thrusters would need a huge source of energy production i. But based on the assumption that a supply of 8. In short, at a maximum velocity of 5. Deep Space 1 would take over 8. Earth and Proxima Centauri. To put that time scale into perspective, that would be over 2,7. So it is safe to say that an interplanetary ion engine mission would be far too slow to be considered for a manned interstellar mission. Ionic propulsion is currently the slowest, but most fuel efficient, form of space travel. Credit NASAJPLBut, should ion thrusters be made larger and more powerful i. Still not enough to happen in someones lifetime though. Gravity Assist Method The fastest existing means of space travel is known the Gravity Assist method, which involves a spacecraft using the relative movement i. Gravitational assists are a very useful spaceflight technique, especially when using the Earth or another massive planet like a gas giant for a boost in velocity. The Mariner 1. 0 spacecraft was the first to use this method, using Venus gravitational pull to slingshot it towards Mercury in February of 1. In the 1. 98. 0s, the Voyager 1 probe used Saturn and Jupiter for gravitational slingshots to attain its current velocity of 6. However, it was the Helios 2 mission which was launched in 1. AU to 1 AU to the Sun that holds the record for highest speed achieved with a gravity assist. At the time, Helios 1 which launched in 1. Helios 2 held the record for closest approach to the Sun. Helios 2 was launched by a conventional NASA TitanCentaur launch vehicle and placed in a highly elliptical orbit. A Helios probe being encapsulated for launch. Credit Public Domain. Due to the large eccentricity 0. Helios 2 was able to reach a maximum velocity of over 2. This orbital speed was attained by the gravitational pull of the Sun alone.