Starcloud's $15M Alpha Centauri Mission
The non-profit Starcloud has announced the Fermi Explorer mission, aiming to launch a spacecraft toward Alpha Centauri before the end of 2029 on a $15
A new non-profit aims to launch humanity's first mission to Alpha Centauri for $15 million. The Starcloud team announced the Fermi Explorer mission today, targeting a launch before the end of 2029.
Starcloud CEO and cofounder Philip Johnston told Payload the project began after a conference conversation last year. Another founder said he planned to spend $1 billion on an interstellar probe after retirement. Johnston argued it could be done for a fraction of that cost. He then searched for proof, admitting it was harder than he expected.
The Mission Profile
After launch, the spacecraft will spend roughly 12 years widening its orbit around the Sun. It will fire its engine at each close pass to gain speed. A final burn will sling it out of the solar system toward Alpha Centauri at approximately 24 kilometers per second.
Alpha Centauri is about four light-years away. Given the vast distance, mission success is defined by generational milestones. The team has outlined four primary objectives for the Fermi Explorer.
| Objective | Target |
|---|---|
| Aim | Reach at least 99% of the way to Alpha Centauri within 80,000 years. |
| Payload | Carry at least a 1 kg, cubesat-sized payload. |
| Schedule | Launch before the end of 2029. |
| Cost | Cost less than $15M to design, build, launch, and operate. |
For Johnston, initial success means leaving the solar system on the correct trajectory within 12 years. This would be faster than the Voyager missions, which took about 35 and 40 years respectively to reach interstellar space. Program manager Garrett Jameson told Payload his milestone is simpler. He will be happy once Fermi makes it to the launchpad.
AI-Powered Design
The mission design relied heavily on artificial intelligence. After months of work on bus design and trajectory planning, the team turned to an AI lab called Physical Superintelligence (PSI).
Johnston said his team had spent three months and one billion AI tokens on the problem. PSI spent ten billion tokens in a week. The AI produced an ingenious perihelion-pump maneuver, which was later validated with NASA personnel.
AI's role extends beyond planning. The mission will be mostly autonomous. The team plans to accept the loss of radio communications after the first year to keep antenna mass low. They will rely on retroreflectors for tracking. Johnston described a long, quiet cruise. Everything powers down after the solar system exit.
Funding and Payload
An 80,000-year timeline is not suited to traditional investors. The non-profit will rely on donations to fund the $15 million mission. The team will open the spacecraft bus for competitive bids from manufacturers. They have already received one proposal under the budget cap.
For a $100 donation, individuals can have their names etched onto the spacecraft. The payload will include a replica of the Voyager Golden Record. It will also carry 300-character messages from children in every country, gathered through national education ministries.
A Galactic Follow-Up
Johnston already has a more ambitious target in mind after Alpha Centauri. He told Payload about a potential next mission. For $100 million, he said a spacecraft could be sent to the nearest galaxy, Andromeda, arriving in a billion years.
