AI-Designed Trajectory Paves Way for Low-Cost Probe to Nearest Star

The Fermi Explorer Mission, a nonprofit, announced plans to launch a spacecraft toward Alpha Centauri by the end of 2029, with an estimated travel time of up to 80,000 years. The trajectory was discovered by an AI system from Physical Superintelligence, a lab that launched with $58 million in funding led by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy. The mission, budgeted at $15 million, aims to carry a one-kilogram payload including a copy of the Golden Record, distinguishing itself from earlier efforts like Breakthrough Starshot.