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How humanity can reach the stars

352,608 views | Philip Lubin • TED2020

Could we exit our solar system, and enter another? Astrophysicist Philip Lubin discusses the awesome potential of using lasers to propel small spacecraft, enabling humanity's first interstellar missions. Learn how this transformative technology could help us reach Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our own -- and fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe along the way.

Could we exit our solar system, and enter another? Astrophysicist Philip Lubin discusses the awesome potential of using lasers to propel small spacecraft, enabling humanity's first interstellar missions. Learn how this transformative technology could help us reach Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our own -- and fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe along the way.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the Starlight program, which aims to enable humanity’s first interstellar missions.

Learn more about the Starshot initiative and the work to develop ultra-fast light-driven nanocrafts.

About the speaker

Philip Lubin

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Philip Lubin studies the physics of the universe.

UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Experimental Cosmology Group | Explore

Starlight

The Starlight program, also known as DEEP-IN (Directed Energy Propulsion for Interstellar Exploration) and DEIS (Directed Energy Interstellar Studies), is a NASA program to use large scale directed energy to propel small spacecraft to relativistic speeds to enable humanity's first interstellar missions.

UCSB Experimental Cosmology Group | Explore

Starshot

Learn more about the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, which aims to demonstrate proof of concept for ultra-fast light-driven nanocrafts.

| Explore

UCSB papers

You can see the full list of UCSB directed energy papers here, and the full list of UCSB experimental cosmology group papers in all areas here.

NASA 360 | YouTube, 2016 | Watch

"Going Interstellar"

UCSB Experimental Cosmology Group | YouTube, 2015 | Watch

"NASA NIAC Fall Symposium Talk by Lubin"

Cubie King and Justin Worland | Time, 2016 | Article

"Inside the Plan to Send Tiny Probes to Explore Far-away Stars"

Philip Lubin | Cornell University, 2016 | Article

"A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight"

Philip Lubin and Will Hettel | Acta Futura, 2020 | Article

"The Path to Interstellar Flight"

James Bird, Linda Petzold, Philip Lubin, Julia Deacon | Cornell University, 2020 | Article

"Advances in Deep Space Exploration via Simulators & Deep Learning"

NASA | Explore

Children's Space Resources

Explore books about astronauts, spaceships, the International Space Station, outer space and beyond. In particular, check out the book about Lubin from the Out of This World series, titled Meet NASA Inventor Philip Lubin and His Team's Laser-Sailing Starships.

Harrison She, Will Hettel, Philip Lubin | Advances in Space Research, 2019 | Article

"Directed Energy Interception of Satellites"

Philip Lubin, et al. | Advances in Space Research, 2016 | Article

"Directed energy missions for planetary defense"

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the Starlight program, which aims to enable humanity’s first interstellar missions.

Learn more about the Starshot initiative and the work to develop ultra-fast light-driven nanocrafts.