{"id":418710,"date":"2026-04-26T16:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/418710\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T16:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:57:08","slug":"humans-could-reach-new-galaxy-over-four-light-years-away-in-just-two-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/418710\/","title":{"rendered":"Humans could reach new galaxy over four light-years away in just two decades"},"content":{"rendered":"

Humans could reach a new galaxy over four light-years away in just two decades, a bombshell study has revealed. <\/p>\n

Alpha Centauri, humanity’s closest neighbouring star system, is separated from Earth by tens of trillions of miles of empty space.<\/p>\n

Using current rocket technology, reaching this destination would require an almost incomprehensible journey lasting hundreds or potentially thousands of years. <\/p>\n

Such timescales would necessitate constructing generation ships designed to sustain human life across multiple lifetimes.<\/p>\n

However, researchers may have identified a method to dramatically shorten this cosmic voyage.<\/p>\n

A team from Texas A&M University has published findings in the journal Newton outlining a promising new approach to spacecraft propulsion.<\/p>\n

Their technique employs lasers to propel and navigate objects remotely, requiring no physical contact whatsoever. <\/p>\n

The scientists assert that this technology could eventually accelerate entire spacecraft to velocities that would reduce the Alpha Centauri transit time to roughly two decades.<\/p>\n

\"Alpha<\/p>\n

Alpha Centauri, humanity’s closest neighbouring star system, is separated from Earth by tens of trillions of miles of empty space<\/p>\n

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GETTY<\/p>\n

While 20 years remains a substantial duration, it represents a transformative improvement compared to millennia-long expeditions requiring self-sustaining vessels.<\/p>\n

For their experiments, the Texas A&M team created microscopic devices termed “metajets” measuring smaller than a human hair’s width. <\/p>\n

These tiny structures respond to laser illumination by moving through space.<\/p>\n

Each metajet incorporates what scientists call “metasurfaces” \u2013 elaborate microscopic patterns etched into the devices that alter light’s behaviour in a manner comparable to a lens.<\/p>\n

These intricate surface designs enable something the researchers describe as a world first: complete three-dimensional manoeuvrability when struck by laser beams.<\/p>\n

“When illuminated by a normally incident beam, these free-standing devices simultaneously translate laterally and lift vertically, enabling 3D motion not accessible with conventional optical manipulation methods,” the research paper stated.<\/p>\n

This capability to move both sideways and upwards simultaneously distinguishes the technology from previous optical manipulation techniques, which could not achieve such comprehensive directional control.<\/p>\n

Shoufeng Lan, a Texas A&M assistant professor and the study’s corresponding author, likened the underlying principle to ping pong balls rebounding off a surface. Light reflecting from any surface transfers momentum to that object.<\/p>\n

Though the force generated by shining light on something appears minimal, the microgravity conditions of space allow even modest cumulative effects to become meaningful. <\/p>\n

Solar sail experiments have previously demonstrated that sunlight alone can generate sufficient thrust to propel specially designed spacecraft.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, European Space Agency scientists proposed using lasers to guide solar sails and adjust satellite positioning through graphene aerogels, an exceptionally lightweight porous material.<\/p>\n

The Texas A&M team maintains their concept can expand well beyond microscopic demonstrations. <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Texas A&M team maintains their concept can expand well beyond microscopic demonstrations<\/p>\n

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GETTY<\/p>\n

Since the propulsive force depends on the intensity of the light source rather than the object’s dimensions, sufficiently powerful lasers could theoretically push much larger structures.<\/p>\n

Their paper suggests applications ranging from tiny microrobots to full-scale interstellar light sails for deep space exploration.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, significant questions about practical feasibility persist. The researchers conducted their experiments in a fluid environment to counteract gravitational effects. <\/p>\n

They now seek external funding to evaluate the technology under actual microgravity conditions in space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Humans could reach a new galaxy over four light-years away in just two decades, a bombshell study has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":418711,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[61,60,43,82,40822,247],"class_list":{"0":"post-418710","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-sgg","13":"tag-space"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}