The physical prince and Russian billionaire consider exploring the

Famous astronomer Stephen Hawking and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner plan to bring the probe to the nearest star system in the near future.

According to Tech Times, Proxima b's discovery of a life-like Earth-like planet in Alpha Centauri's star system is pushing Russian billionaire Yuri Milner and famous physicist Stephen Hawking to change the Breakthrough Starshot project to visit Detect new planets with micro devices.

Billionaire Milner (standing) and Hawking physicist.(Photo: Metro).

In April this year, billionaire Milner announced it would invest about $ 100 million for the space travel project "Breakthrough Starshot" with the support of "physical king" Hawking. Their goal at the time was to launch a tiny spacecraft at a rate of 20% of the speed of light to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system, 4.37 light-years from the Sun.

According to Abraham Loeb, chairman of the advisory board of Breakthrough Starshot, Proxima b will become a new target for their exploration equipment."This finding helps activate the project. It provides a clear goal for exploration missions , " Loeb said.

Loeb said the StarChip probe flew to Proxima b the size of a stamp, equipped with a camera and several filters to take color photos. The camera will help to show that the planet has the green color of life, the blue of liquid water or only the dry brown of the rock.

StarChip ultra-small space exploration device will fly to Proxima b thanks to the laser propulsion system.(Photo: Science Alert) .

The project team hopes to be able to launch StarChip within the next two or three decades and to Proxima Centauri after 20 years. Photos taken by ultra-small probes will reach Earth after 4.23 years, equal to the number of light years from Earth to Proxima b.

With this plan, Loeb and his colleagues believe that StarChip devices can take Proxima b photos in 2060. Each StarChip device made from silicon will carry cameras, power sources, photon propulsion motors and communication devices. and positioning.

Model of system to push StarChip equipment with high power laser.(Photo: Science).

The ultra-small space exploration device is the ideal means of traveling to stellar systems like Alpha Centauri because the conventional type of ship takes up to 20,000 years to reach the destination, and StarChip can complete the journey in just 20 year.

Before the project becomes a reality, the team needs to complete the design of the laser StarChip propulsion system and take about 5-10 years to determine whether this system is feasible or not.