Overview

• The proposal calls for a gram-scale nanocraft equipped with a light sail to be propelled by powerful Earth-based lasers toward a black hole located 20–25 light-years away.
• At an estimated one-third the speed of light, the probe would arrive in about 70 years, with data transmission back to Earth extending the mission to roughly 80–100 years.
• Success hinges on identifying a suitably close black hole; distances beyond 40–50 light-years sharply increase technical barriers, and targets over 50 light-years are deemed impractical.
• Key technologies—light-sail nanocrafts and multi-trillion-euro laser arrays—do not yet exist, but Bambi projects that advances could cut costs to around €1 billion within 20–30 years.
• Published as a speculative perspective rather than a detailed mission blueprint, the concept has drawn cautious interest from researchers who note its ambition and uncertainties.