Astrophysicist Proposes Interstellar Mission to Study Black Holes

In a new article published in the journal iscienceAn astrophysicist from Fudan University discusses the possibility of sending a nanocraft to a black hole at 20-25 light years from the earth to test the nature of the compact object and fundamental physics in strong gravitational fields.

Black holes are the sources of the strongest gravitational fields which can be found today in the universe and are ideal laboratories to test the theory of general relativity of Einstein in the strong field regime. In his article, Professor Bambi shows that the possibility of an interstellar mission to send a small spacecraft to the nearest black hole, although very speculative and extremely difficult, is not completely unrealistic. Image credit: Cosimo Bambi, DOI: 10.1016 / J.ISCI.2025.113142.

“We don’t have technology now. But in 20 or 30 years, we could, “said Professor Cosimo Bambi, astrophysicist and black hole expert at Fudan University.

“The mission depends on two key challenges – find a black hole close enough to target and develop probes capable of resisting travel.”

Currently, the known black hole closest to the earth is Gaia BH1, discovered in September 2022 and at a distance of 1,560 light years.

However, we can expect there to be many black holes unknown closer to the earth.

According to simple considerations, we can estimate that the black hole closest to the earth can be only 20-25 light years, even if it is only an approximate estimate and is affected by great uncertainties.

“Previous knowledge of how the stars evolve suggest that there could be a black hole that only hides 20 to 25 light years from the earth, but that it will not be easy,” said Professor Bambi.

“Because black holes do not emit or reflect light, they are practically invisible for telescopes.”

“Instead, scientists detect them and study them according to the way they influence the stars nearby or deform light.”

“There have been new techniques to discover black holes. I think it is reasonable to expect that we can find one nearby during the next decade. ”

Once the target has been identified, the next obstacle arrives there.

The traditional spacecrafts, supplied by chemical fuel, are too clumsy and slow to make the trip.

Professor Bambi points to Nanocrates – gram -on -scale probes composed of a micropuce and a light sail – as a possible solution.

Earth -based lasers would explode the sail with photons, accelerating the profession to a third of the speed of light.

“At this rate, the job could reach a black hole at 20 to 25 years old in around 70 years,” he said.

“The data he brings together would take two decades to return to earth, which makes the total duration of the mission of around 80 to 100 years.”

“Once the job is close to the black hole, researchers could carry out experiences to answer some of the most urgent questions in physics.”

“Does a black hole really have a horizon of events, the border beyond which even light cannot escape its gravitational traction?”

“Do the rules of physics change near a black hole?”

“Does the theory of general relativity of Einstein hold under the most extreme conditions of the universe?

“Lasers alone would cost about a Billion of euros today, and technology to create a nanocrat does not yet exist,” said Professor Bambi.

“But in 30 years, costs can fall and technology can make up for these daring ideas.”

“It may seem really crazy and in a sense closer to science fiction.”

“But people have said that we never detect gravitational waves because they are too weak. We did it – 100 years later.”

“People thought we would never observe the shadows of black holes. Now, 50 years later, we have images of two. ”

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Cosimo Bambi. An interstellar mission to test astrophysical black holes. isciencepublished online on August 7, 2025; DOI: 10.1016 / J.ISCI.2025.113142