Proposal would send tiny laser-driven probe to a black hole and wait a century
An astrophysicist has proposed sending a chip-sized, laser-powered spacecraft to a nearby black hole. The plan would involve waiting about 100 years for the probe to transmit a signal back to Earth. The laser array alone could cost around $1 trillion, and the required nanocraft technology does not yet exist.
An astrophysicist has proposed a concept in which a chip-sized spacecraft, driven by lasers, would travel toward a nearby black hole. The mission’s timeline is extreme: roughly 100 years would pass before a signal from the probe could return to Earth.
The proposal also faces major obstacles. The laser array alone could cost around $1 trillion, and the nanocraft technology required for such a tiny probe does not yet exist. The idea therefore remains speculative, with no current capability to carry it out.
If pursued, such a proposal could shape public attention and research priorities in space science, while its enormous cost may raise questions about funding trade-offs. Scientists and engineers working on miniaturized spacecraft, lasers, and long-term mission planning could be most directly affected. The public may also be affected through debates over whether a century-long, trillion-dollar-scale effort is worthwhile. Because the needed technology does not yet exist, near-term societal effects may remain limited to discussion and early research.