The Fermi Explorer Mission, a nonprofit organization, has announced plans to launch a spacecraft toward the Alpha Centauri star system by the end of 2029, with an estimated travel time of up to 80,000 years. The mission’s trajectory was determined by an AI system developed by Physical Superintelligence (PSI), an AI physics research lab backed by $58 million in funding from Breakthrough Energy, an investment group founded by Bill Gates. The spacecraft will carry a payload of at least one kilogram, including artistic and scientific materials, messages, and a copy of the Golden Record.
The Fermi team faced significant engineering challenges in designing a cost-effective spacecraft capable of interstellar travel. After struggling to find a viable solution, they enlisted the help of PSI’s AI system, Get Physics Done, which proposed a novel trajectory. The AI suggested a route involving close passes by the Sun to harness increased solar energy, allowing the spacecraft to achieve higher speeds while maintaining a lightweight design. PSI’s cofounder and CEO, Matt Pines, noted that while the AI generated a creative and previously unconsidered mission profile, the system still lacks the human researcher’s judgment to discern which problems are worth pursuing.