Of all the things that sprang from the mind of one Mark Zukerberg, Breakthrough Starshot is one of the few that is unequivocally cool. The initiative aims to explore current and developing technology in an effort to create an interstellar craft that could reach Alpha Centauri, our closest star system. The aim for the starcraft that to move at 20% the speed of light. At that velocity, we would reach the system in about 20 years. The initiative was launched in 2016. What sort of progress have they made? Here’s more from Centauri Dreams:
…Starshot is about clarifying where we are now, and projecting where we can expect to be within a reasonable time frame. In its early stages, it is about identifying the science issues that would enable us to use laser beaming to light up a sail and push it toward another star with prospects of a solid data return. Starshot’s Harry Atwater (Caltech) told the Interstellar Research Group in Montreal that it is about development and definition. Develop the physics, define and grow the design concepts, and nurture a scientific community. These are the necessary and current preliminaries.
…Although its technical meetings are anything but media fodder, their quiet work keeps the idea of an interstellar crossing in the public mind as a kind of background musical riff. Yes, we’re thinking about this. We’ve got ideas and lab experiments that point to new directions. We’re learning things about lightsails and beaming we didn’t know before. And yes, it’s a big universe, with approximately one planet per star on average, and we’ve got one outstanding example of a habitable zone planet right next door.