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Fermi Explorer Plans Alpha Centauri Solar-Electric Launch by 2029

9/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

The nonprofit Fermi Explorer Mission plans to launch a solar-electric spacecraft toward Alpha Centauri by 2029.
Physical Superintelligence provided an AI system that designed a Sun-flyby speed-building trajectory.
The mission’s budget is just under $15 million, with PSI’s model estimating $10-$16 million.
Organizers estimate a roughly 50 % chance of spacecraft success and expect loss of contact by 2043.
The payload will carry scientific data, artistic messages, and a copy of Voyager’s Golden Record.

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Story summary

The nonprofit Fermi Explorer Mission plans to launch a solar-electric spacecraft toward Alpha Centauri by 2029.
Physical Superintelligence provided an AI system that designed a Sun-flyby speed-building trajectory.
The mission’s budget is just under $15 million, with PSI’s model estimating $10-$16 million.
Organizers estimate a roughly 50 % chance of spacecraft success and expect loss of contact by 2043.
The payload will carry scientific data, artistic messages, and a copy of Voyager’s Golden Record.