Project Icarus - son of Daedalus

摘要

Is it worthwhile to launch a probe on the decades-long journey to another star if it cannot stop at its destination, and can only make closeup observations for the few hours of a flyby encounter?rnWhen in 1978 the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) published its report on Project Daedalus - the most detailed design study of an interstellar spacecraft yet to appear -the conclusion was that only a flyby would be possible.