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by techteach00 11 days ago
What technology currently available combined with the best launch window, gravity assist etc exists? Might as well send a probe.
2 comments

The speed of light is 1079 252 848 km/h, the fastest space craft ever made was the Parker Solar probe (using a sling shot) clocking in at 692 000 km/h. So at that speed it would take, 1559 years to travel one light year.

This planet sits at a distance of 48 light years, so it would 74 832 years to get there. Just for good measure, when it gets there it would also take 48 years for us to know that since radio travels at the speed of light.

Note, that the speed of the spacecraft I mentioned was the peak speed. Space is big, really big.

500+ years, and it would likely need to be inert for most of that trip, space is big
Try 74 832 years actually.
I was being a little optimistic with theoretical designs that could happen within our lifetimes (nuclear pulse at 10% c gets ~500), but yes absolutely true that with current tech it's tens of thousands even with the rosiest of estimates

add in a bunch of complication for "oh wait, you need to stop too"