According to Daily Mail, Alpha Centauri is home to three stars: Centauri A, Centauri B and Can Tinh. It is more than 38,624 billion km from Earth - equivalent to 4.37 light years - and is a place that offers the opportunity to search for life on the planet. It will take thousands of years to reach this star system with current technology.
Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have designed a new-style spaceship propulsion system to explore the world around Alpha Centauri.
The space probes will be launched using a laser thrust system, the spacecraft will operate as a light sails and move at unprecedented speeds.
The light to power the sails will come from the Earth's surface, with millions of laser rays of power to light up the sails and push them on a journey between the stars.
The sails will fly in space for 20 years before reaching the destination, says Dr Chathura Bandutunga, lead author of the study. During the flight through Alpha Centauri, it will record images and scientific measurements, then transmit them to Earth."
"The total optical capacity needed is estimated at about 100 GW - about 100 times the capacity of the world's largest battery today," says Dr Robert Ward from ANU. The number of laser rays needed was about 100 million."
Scientists are currently conducting simulation testing to see if the idea is viable and physically feasible."
