{"id":587210,"date":"2024-01-04T13:02:04","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T18:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=587210"},"modified":"2024-01-04T13:02:05","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T18:02:05","slug":"swarming-proxima-centauri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/general\/swarming-proxima-centauri\/","title":{"rendered":"Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\"><div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\"><p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">4 min read<\/p><h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1173\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Labeled diagram of the Swarming Proxima Centauri\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png 3048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=300,172 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=768,440 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=1024,587 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=1536,880 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=2048,1173 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=400,229 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=600,344 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=900,516 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=1200,687 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?resize=2000,1146 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Graphic depiction of Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Thomas Eubanks<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Thomas<\/strong> <strong>Eubanks<\/strong><br><em>Space Initiatives, Inc.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tiny gram-scale interstellar probes pushed by laser light are likely to be the only technology capable of reaching another star this century. We presuppose availability by mid-century of a laser beamer powerful enough (~100-GW) to boost a few grams to relativistic speed, lasersails robust enough to survive launch, and terrestrial light buckets (~1-sq.km) big enough to catch our optical signals. Then our proposed representative mission, around the third quarter of this century, is to fly by our nearest neighbor, the potentially habitable world Proxima b, with a large autonomous swarm of 1000s of tiny probes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given extreme constraints on launch mass (grams), onboard power (milliwatts), and coms aperture (centimeters to meters), our team determined in our work over the last 3 years that only a large swarm of many probes acting in unison can generate an optical signal strong enough to cross the immense distance back to Earth. The 8-year round-trip time lag eliminates any practical control by Earth, therefore the swarm must possess an extraordinary degree of autonomy, for example, in order to prioritize which data is returned to Earth. Thus, the reader will see that coordinating the swarming of individuals into an effective whole is the dominant challenge for our representative mission to Proxima Centauri b. Coordination in turn rests on establishing a mesh network via low-power optical links and synchronizing probes\u2019 on-board clocks with Earth and with each other to support accurate position-navigation-timing (PNT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our representative mission begins with a long string of probes launched one at a time to ~0.2c. After launch, the drive laser is used for signaling and clock synchronization, providing a continual time signal like a metronome. Initial boost is modulated so the tail of the string catches up with the head (\u201ctime on target\u201d). Exploiting drag imparted by the interstellar medium (\u201cvelocity on target\u201d) over the 20-year cruise keeps the group together once assembled. An initial string 100s to 1000s of AU long dynamically coalesces itself over time into a lens-shaped mesh network #100,000 km across, sufficient to account for ephemeris errors at Proxima, ensuring at least some probes pass close to the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A swarm whose members are in known spatial positions relative to each other, having state-of-the-art microminiaturized clocks to keep synchrony, can utilize its entire population to communicate with Earth, periodically building up a single short but extremely bright contemporaneous laser pulse from all of them. Operational coherence means each probe sends the same data but adjusts its emission time according to its relative position, such that all pulses arrive simultaneously at the receiving arrays on Earth. This effectively multiplies the power from any one probe by the number N of probes in the swarm, providing orders of magnitude greater data return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A swarm would tolerate significant attrition en route, mitigating the risk of \u201cputting all your eggs in one basket,\u201d and enabling close observation of Proxima b from multiple vantage points. Fortunately, we don\u2019t have to wait until mid-century to make practical progress – we can explore and test swarming techniques now in a simulated environment, which is what we propose to do in this work. We anticipate our innovations would have a profound effect on space exploration, complementing existing techniques and enabling entirely new types of missions, for example picospacecraft swarms covering all of cislunar space, or instrumenting an entire planetary magnetosphere. Well before mid-century we foresee a number of such missions, starting in Earth or lunar orbit, but in time extending deep into the outer Solar system. For example, such a swarm could explore the rapidly receding interstellar object 1I\/\u2019Oumuamua or the solar gravitational lens. These would both be precursors to the ultimate interstellar mission, but also scientifically valuable in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/general\/niac-2024-selections\">2024 Phase I Selection<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Discover More NIAC Topics<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/space-technology-mission-directorate\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Space Technology Mission Directorate<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stmd.jpg?w=525\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stmd.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stmd.jpg?resize=197,300 197w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stmd.jpg?resize=263,400 263w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/stmd.jpg?resize=394,600 394w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/stmd-the-nasa-innovative-advanced-concepts-niac\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"521\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?resize=300,150 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?resize=768,384 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?resize=1024,512 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?resize=400,200 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?resize=600,300 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/niac_magnetosphere.png?resize=900,450 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/niac-funded-studies\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>NIAC Funded Studies<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png 4053w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=300,92 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=768,236 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=1024,315 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=1536,473 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=2048,630 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=400,123 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=600,185 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=900,277 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=1200,369 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/2022_niac_ph_i_ii_selections_web_graphic_banner_final_v2.png?resize=2000,615 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/about-niac\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>About NIAC<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"649\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/niac_2019_howe_troy.png?w=649\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/niac_2019_howe_troy.png 649w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/niac_2019_howe_troy.png?resize=254,300 254w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/niac_2019_howe_troy.png?resize=339,400 339w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/niac_2019_howe_troy.png?resize=508,600 508w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas EubanksSpace Initiatives, Inc. Tiny gram-scale interstellar probes pushed by laser light are likely to be the only technology capable of reaching another star this century. We presuppose availability by mid-century of a laser beamer powerful enough (~100-GW) to boost a few grams to relativistic speed, lasersails robust enough to survive launch, and terrestrial light […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":587218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"66","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[9529,12691],"coauthors":[8624],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/general\/swarming-proxima-centauri\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/general\/swarming-proxima-centauri\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png"},"articleSection":"General","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Loura Hall"}],"creator":["Loura Hall"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["General"],"dateCreated":"2024-01-04T18:02:04Z","datePublished":"2024-01-04T18:02:04Z","dateModified":"2024-01-04T18:02:05Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/general\/swarming-proxima-centauri\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2024-01-04T18:02:04Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"General\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"General\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Loura Hall\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"5 months","featured_image":{"id":587218,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2024-ph-i-eubanks-graphic.png","title":"NIAC 2024 Eubanks","alt":"Labeled diagram of the Swarming Proxima Centauri","caption":"Graphic depiction of Swarming Proxima Centauri: Coherent Picospacecraft Swarms Over Interstellar Distances"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587210"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=587210"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":587946,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587210\/revisions\/587946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/587218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=587210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=587210"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=587210"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=587210"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=587210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}