Editing Interstellar travel (section)

=== Fast, uncrewed probes ===
{{Main|Interstellar probe}}

==== Nanoprobes ====
[[File:Project Dragonfly.PNG|thumb|Rendering of the Dragonfly-Probe: This concept won the Project Dragonfly Design Competition. Its sail is not depicted to scale,<ref name="v036">{{cite journal | last=Perakis | first=Nikolaos | last2=Schrenk | first2=Lukas E. | last3=Gutsmiedl | first3=Johannes | last4=Koop | first4=Artur | last5=Losekamm | first5=Martin J. | title=Project Dragonfly: A feasibility study of interstellar travel using laser-powered light sail propulsion | journal=Acta Astronautica | volume=129 | date=2016 | doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.09.030 | pages=316–324}}</ref> it would be kilometres across.<ref name="g891">{{cite journal | last=Häfner | first=Tobias | last2=Kushwaha | first2=Manisha | last3=Celik | first3=Onur | last4=Bellizzi | first4=Filippo | title=Project Dragonfly: Sail to the stars | journal=Acta Astronautica | volume=154 | date=2019 | doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.05.018 | pages=311–319}}</ref>]]
Near-lightspeed nano spacecraft might be possible within the near future built on existing microchip technology with a newly developed nanoscale thruster. Researchers at the [[University of Michigan]] are developing thrusters that use [[nanoparticle]]s as propellant. Their technology is called "nanoparticle field extraction thruster", or [[Nano-particle field extraction thruster|nanoFET]]. These devices act like small particle accelerators shooting conductive nanoparticles out into space.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Daniel H. |last=Wilson |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/31665236 |title=Near-lightspeed nano spacecraft might be close |date=July 8, 2009 |work=NBC News |access-date=13 November 2019 |archive-date=15 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415170459/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/31665236/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Michio Kaku]], a theoretical physicist, has suggested that clouds of "smart dust" be sent to the stars, which may become possible with advances in [[nanotechnology]]. Kaku also notes that a large number of nanoprobes would need to be sent due to the vulnerability of very small probes to be easily deflected by magnetic fields, micrometeorites and other dangers to ensure the chances that at least one nanoprobe will survive the journey and reach the destination.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kaku |first=Michio |title=[[Physics of the Impossible]] |publisher=Anchor Books |year=2008 |author-link=Michio Kaku}}</ref>

As a near-term solution, small, laser-propelled interstellar probes, based on current CubeSat technology were proposed in the context of [[Project Dragonfly (space study)|Project Dragonfly]].<ref name="centauri-dreams.org" />

Starseed is a similar proposed method of launching interstellar nanoprobes at one-third light speed. The proposed launcher uses a 1,000&nbsp;km-long small-diameter hollow wire, with [[electrode]]s lining the hollow wire, an electrostatic accelerator tube, similar to [[K. Eric Drexler]]'s ideas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Starseed/Launcher |url=https://www.iase.cc/starseed.htm |access-date=2023-07-24 |archive-date=2023-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724122950/https://www.iase.cc/starseed.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>