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Fudan University Astrophysicist Suggests Sending Laser-Powered Nano-Ship to Study Black Hole Possibly 25 Light-Years from Earth.
A new study published in the journal iScience presents an ambitious proposal: send a nano-ship to a black hole located 20 or 25 light-years from Earth. The author is Professor Cosimo Bambi, an astrophysicist at Fudan University and a black hole specialist.
He believes that, despite current technological limitations, the scenario may change in the coming decades. “We don’t have the technology now. But in 20 or 30 years, we might,” he stated.
The most important thing is that the mission faces two major challenges: finding a sufficiently close black hole and developing probes capable of making the journey.
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Where to Find the Target
Currently, the closest known black hole is Gaia BH1, discovered in September 2022, at 1,560 light-years away. However, Bambi points out that this distance does not mean there are not others, closer, still hidden.
Based on estimates, he suggests there could be a black hole as close as 20 or 25 light-years. This prediction, however, comes with significant uncertainties. “Finding it won’t be easy because black holes neither emit nor reflect light. They are practically invisible,” he explained.
Detection, therefore, depends on observing how they affect neighboring stars or distort light. “New techniques have emerged. I think it is reasonable to expect that we can find one close by in the next decade,” he added.
Technology to Get There
Even if a target is identified, another problem arises: the journey. Ships powered by chemical fuel would be too slow for the mission.
The professor advocates for the use of nano-ships, probes the size of grams, consisting of a microchip and a light sail. Propulsion would come from Earth-based lasers, which would fire photons against the sail, accelerating the ship to one-third the speed of light.
At this pace, the journey to a black hole 20 or 25 light-years away would take about 70 years. The data obtained would take another two decades to return, resulting in a total mission duration of 80 to 100 years.
What Science Wants to Discover
When the ship reaches its destination, scientists could investigate fundamental questions of physics. Among them, whether a black hole really has an event horizon — the point of no return where not even light escapes.
Another question is whether the laws of physics change in extreme gravitational fields. And, further, if Einstein’s general theory of relativity remains valid under the most severe conditions in the universe.
Costs and Future of the Mission
Currently, just the laser system would cost about one trillion euros. The technology to manufacture the nano-ship also does not yet exist. But Bambi believes that, in three decades, costs will drop, and science will be able to achieve these ideas.
“It may seem like science fiction. But they once said we would never detect gravitational waves or see the shadow of a black hole. And we accomplished both,” he concluded.
Study published in the journal science
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