If Space-Based Data Centers Appear Impractical, Should We Explore the Possibility of Interstellar Travel?

The team behind Starcloud, a startup focused on deploying a fleet of GPUs in space, has presented an intriguing proposal to potential investors: launching a compact spacecraft on a stunning 80,000-year voyage to Alpha Centauri.

If this mission is successful, it would signify the first human-made object specifically designed to travel to another star, as well as the sixth one to escape our solar system.

The initiative, called Fermi Explorer, operates under the aegis of a non-profit organization that is actively seeking collaborators, financial support, and expert advice. The founding team—which includes Starcloud co-founders Philip Johnston, Adi Oltean, and Ezra Feilden, alongside project manager Garret Jameson—has formulated a plan to utilize current space technology to send a spacecraft weighing 1 kilogram with a payload area of 10 cm² into interstellar space.

The founders emphasize that this endeavor is fueled by the desire for human exploration, targeting a significant milestone while also addressing the Fermi paradox, which questions why we haven’t yet encountered intelligent extraterrestrial life, thus lending the mission its name.

The anticipated budget for this mission is approximately $15 million, with a launch scheduled for 2029. The non-profit is actively seeking vendors to build the spacecraft, financial partners, and both scientific and artistic payloads—similar to the sensors and Golden Record that NASA’s Voyager spacecraft carried, marking the first human craft to traverse beyond our solar system.

Many earlier attempts at interstellar exploration have failed due to the immense distances involved and our relatively slow methods of travel. For context, Voyager, which was launched in 1977, is currently around 26 billion kilometers from Earth, while Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system, is a staggering 41 trillion kilometers away.

A previous initiative from Silicon Valley sought to tackle this issue, leading to the establishment of a non-profit known as Breakthrough Starshot in 2016 by Yuri Milner, with support from Mark Zuckerberg. This initiative aimed to create a multi-billion dollar project that would use a groundbreaking laser propulsion system to reach Alpha Centauri within twenty to thirty years. However, that effort ultimately lost momentum by 2025, even as the quest for exploration continued.

In contrast, Fermi Explorer takes a different perspective: instead of attempting to push the limits of technology, the goal is to capitalize on existing resources to achieve something.

“I was once filled with hope but then faced disappointment!” Johnston recalled regarding the Starshot initiative. “That’s why we are committed to this mission. We plan to actually launch something within three years. … the crucial difference between most other [interstellar] missions and Fermi Explorer is that they strive to meet their objectives within a human lifetime, which requires billion-dollar propulsion R&D investments. We’ve intentionally set an 80,000-year timeline as our minimum viable mission.”

The plan involves launching the spacecraft via a rocket rideshare and then using efficient, low-power electric propulsion to maneuver through various orbits, ultimately directing it toward Alpha Centauri. The spacecraft is expected to function for about 12 years before transitioning into an extended coast phase towards the neighboring solar system.

“If a dinosaur bone can last for 200 million years, then surely a metal container can endure the radiation we expect for 50,000 years,” asserted Johnston. “We do not intend to reactivate the spacecraft after 80,000 years. Our hope is that a future human civilization will discover it.”