Seattle Team Plans $15M Mission to Alpha Centauri by 2029

A team of dreamers in Seattle just announced plans to launch humanity's first deliberate voyage to another star system, and they're counting on future generations to beat them there.

The Fermi Explorer Mission revealed this week they'll send a small probe toward Alpha Centauri by 2029 for under $15 million. The journey will take up to 80,000 years, but that's exactly the point.

"We hope to be both the first to leave and the last to arrive at Alpha Centauri," said Philip Johnston, the nonprofit's co-founder and president. The team believes starting the journey now, even if none of us will see its end, will motivate tomorrow's scientists to develop faster ways to travel between stars.

Alpha Centauri sits 4.4 light years away, roughly 25 trillion miles from Earth. The spacecraft will spend about 12 years orbiting our Sun, using a solar electric propulsion system to gradually build speed through burn maneuvers. Once it reaches escape velocity, it will slingshot out of our solar system and begin its trek through interstellar space.

The mission stands apart from previous attempts by focusing on what's actually achievable today. A $100 million project called Breakthrough Starshot announced plans in 2016 to reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years using light-driven nanocrafts, but it still hasn't launched. Fermi Explorer chose proven technology over waiting for breakthroughs.

"We didn't want to do another Breakthrough Starshot. We're dead set on something actually launching," Johnston told MIT Technology Review. The team used mission designs from Physical Superintelligence, an AI physics research lab, to create a realistic path forward.

The tiny spacecraft will carry at least 2.2 pounds of payload in a shielded box about the size of a Rubik's Cube. Fermi Explorer plans to open a three-month solicitation period soon for scientific experiments and artistic contributions. They'll also include a digital copy of Voyager's Golden Record and messages from children worldwide.

Only two spacecraft have ever left our solar system: Voyager 1 and 2, both launched in 1977. They're now drifting through interstellar space with no specific destination.

Why This Inspires

This mission flips our usual thinking about ambitious goals. Instead of waiting until we have perfect technology, the Fermi team is taking the first step with what exists today. They're planting a tree whose shade they'll never enjoy.

Former U.S. Air Force officer Garrett Jameson, who will lead daily operations, captured the spirit perfectly: "We can embrace the constraints, build what is possible now, and give the next generation something meaningful to build upon."

The message to future generations is clear: we believed reaching the stars mattered enough to start the journey for you.