Nov 02, 2016 03:18
Breakthrough Initiatives
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
"Aug 14, 2016 00:41Miguel MitchellPosted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
Beyond taking pictures, is it possible that the cameras could obtain infrared snapshots of planetary atmospheres with enough resolution that the IR absorbing stretching modes and the "fingerprint" frequencies below 1400 cm ^-1 associated with carbon dioxide, water, and even chlorophyll could be detected?"
Answer:
There is definitely interest in looking at wavelengths outside of the visible range. Since the plan is to have many launches, it will be possible to include variety of different sensing and imaging capabilities on different nanocraft.
– Zac Manchester, Breakthrough Starshot
Nov 02, 2016 03:19
Breakthrough Initiatives
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
"Aug 24, 2016 22:37Kenneth OlivePosted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
Following up on the earlier point from Breakthrough Initiatives that each nanocraft will be spread out by some distance from the next, I wonder whether this could be used as an advantage. Each craft will have a laser for communication back to Earth. After one nanocraft passes a planet, could its laser also be directed through the atmosphere of the target planet and then intercepted by a trailing nanocraft to enable precise spectroscopy of atmospheric composition. The wavelength of laser used would affect what could be measured."
"Sep 09, 2016 21:19michael.million@sky.comPosted on: Centauri Dreams
'Each craft will have a laser for communication back to Earth. After one nanocraft passes a planet, could its laser also be directed through the atmosphere of the target planet and then intercepted by a trailing nanocraft to enable precise spectroscopy of atmospheric composition.
It might be better to let it hit the planet and then the other sails look at the aftermath, there will be plenty of energy released."
Answer:
This is a very interesting idea, though I think it would be extremely challenging to pull off due to the level of navigation and pointing precision necessary. Michael’s suggestion of crashing a nanocraft into a planet’s atmosphere would certainly be easier from a navigation and control perspective. We will continue to explore concepts for exploring the Alpha Centauri system using nanocrafts.
– Zac Manchester, Breakthrough Starshot
Feb 02, 2017 18:41
Breakthrough Initiatives
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
RE:
"Jan 19, 2017 15:41 michael.million@sky.com Posted on: Centauri Dreams
This could be a good method of communication back from the sail probe via a phased array, I would think it would need lens to aid collimation though.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v493/n7431/full/nature11727.html";
Answer:
Thank you for your consideration. These are very good approaches and we will consider them when the design matures. There is a balance between beginning the design work for the star chip and developing the Photon Engine. Currently we are strictly focused on three items, the photon engine, sail and communications back to earth.
- Pete Klupar, Breakthrough Starshot
Apr 10, 2017 14:53
Stuart Heinrich
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
Planar Fourier capture arrays are manufactured using CMOS processes, which typically suffer from rolling shutter distortion, which can be a problem even at extremely low velocities of a few feet per second. How will this rolling shutter distortion be managed when traveling at 20% of the speed of light?
Even if a global shutter is used, isn't there research showing that when traveling at relativistic speeds, the physics of light would make only a fuzzy blob visible:
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5976041/this-is-what-it-would-really-look-like-to-travel-at-near-lightspeed
If these imaging challenges can't be overcome, it may be necessary to slow down the nanocraft using solar braking on the approach, which would presumably double the travel time, but would have the upshot of letting the craft enter stable orbit and continue transmitting rather than making a single flyby.
- Stuart Heinrich
Apr 29, 2017 10:34
michael.million@sky.com
Posted on: Centauri Dreams
These camera lens have come a long way, we could have these lens on the surface of the sail that can pop up at an angle take a picture and then return flat to the surface of an 'edge on' sail to protect them. They could also do a lot of observations in the flat position like looking at stars and even transit planets while in the protective flat position by having them pop up slightly.
https://phys.org/news/2016-06-meta-lens-visible-spectrum-smaller-wavelength.html
Jul 15, 2017 03:02
Breakthrough Initiatives
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
RE:
"Apr 10, 2017 14:53 Stuart Heinrich Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives"
Answer:
The rolling shutter effect is an artifact of the sequential method used to read out the pixels in many CMOS imagers and is not a fundamental issue. It is possible to build imaging devices where all pixels are read out simultaneously.
Traveling at 0.2c does indeed produce some image distortion, but this can be corrected in post processing and is nothing like what the article you linked shows at much higher speeds.
Slowing down the nanocraft is extremely difficult and probably impractical.
- Zac Manchester, Breakthrough Starshot
Jul 15, 2017 03:32
Breakthrough Initiatives
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
RE:
Apr 29, 2017 10:34 michael.million@sky.com Posted on: Centauri Dreams
Answer:
That’s very cool. We’ll certainly be considering all options for onboard optics and camera technologies.
- Zac Manchester, Breakthrough Starshot
Dec 23, 2017 05:05
Hayden Goetz
Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives
Id go with what people above were saying, instead of each camera taking an image, maybe create a mosaic of smaller but higher res images if that makes sense? That might be what other space agencies do already but worth a shot. Just my input!
