Dec 12, 2017 20:38 Breakthrough Initiatives Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives

RE:
Oct 14, 2017 00:17 Julian Reyes Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives

REPLY:
Thank you for your input. We have been thinking along these lines. However there is a concern about going to -470 F. If we build something to withstand such temperatures it will be challenging to build and test it at room temperature. Clearly it has been done but concerns for cost need to be factored in. We will need to begin to investigate the best way to perform these efforts.

- Pete Klupar, Breakthrough Starshot

Nov 15, 2020 00:56 John Weiss Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives

Avoid any need to send any messages from earth to the craft. Don't even have a receiver, just a transmitter.

If you MUST send, let the craft turn on it's receiver only very occasionally. Earth transmitter should send messages on repeat, to ensure that the craft will receive the message during it's brief receive-windows.

Do NOT require confirmation of receipt of message by the craft. That will just eat up power. Just ensure that, statistically, you're sending and repeating from earth such that you can be sure the craft will receive during its open window.

If there's craft failure, don't require status updates be sent back to earth. Nothing you can do about it anyway.

Mar 30, 2021 21:54 Breakthrough Initiatives Posted on: Breakthrough Initiatives

Thank you for these comments! Yes, the baseline plan is to have downlink only - i.e. only data transmitted from the craft and not uplink to the craft from the Earth.

It may be possible to use the photon engine (i.e. the launch laser) to send uplink commands or as a beacon to help the craft locate the earth and know where to send the downlink data.

Prof. Phil Mauskopf, ASU
Starshot Communications Lead