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197 points amichail | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.243s | source
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consumer451 ◴[] No.41865107[source]
The most complete plan for this was proposed by JPL's Slava Turyshev and team. It has been selected for Phase III of NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts. [0]

> In 2020, Turyshev presented his idea of Direct Multi-pixel Imaging and Spectroscopy of an Exoplanet with a Solar Gravitational Lens Mission. The lens could reconstruct the exoplanet image with ~25 km-scale surface resolution in 6 months of integration time, enough to see surface features and signs of habitability. His proposal was selected for the Phase III of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts. Turyshev proposes to use realistic-sized solar sails (~16 vanes of 10^3 m^2) to achieve the needed high velocity at perihelion (~150 km/sec), reaching 547 AU in 17 years.

> In 2023, a team of scientists led by Turychev proposed the Sundiver concept,[1] whereby a solar sail craft can serve as a modular platform for various instruments and missions, including rendezvous with other Sundivers for resupply, in a variety of different self-sustaining orbits reaching velocities of ~5-10 AU/yr.

Here is an interview with him laying out the entire plan.[2] It is the most interesting interview that I have seen in years, possibly ever.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slava_Turyshev#Work

[1] https://www2.mpia-hd.mpg.de/~calj/sundiver.pdf

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqzJewjZUkk

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izend ◴[] No.41871463[source]
NASA and SpaceX should start architecting a Deep Space Network 2.0 relying on more space based relays so that we do need to rely on giant ground based antennae.

Put a relay at the Lagrange point.

replies(1): >>41872224 #
1. Retric ◴[] No.41872224[source]
The economics really don’t work out.

Stick a relay at the midpoint between earth / Voyager 1 so it gets a signal that’s 4x as strong. Unfortunately that’s still really weak so it needs a huge dish, and orbital mechanics means it can’s stay in that position.

We’re better off sending out probes that send stronger signals and just build huge ground based systems. At least until space based manufacturing becomes practical.

PS: Where relays make sense is for probes on the surface of a planet etc communicating with something in orbit which then sends signals to earth.