[489] Starship Arrives Alpha Centauri 1b — This orbital composition presents a variation of the Project Daedalus arrival sequence, featuring the second-stage probe close to a terrestrial exoplanet and its large, cratered natural satellite. The spacecraft is depicted with its hexagonal payload modules and high-gain mesh antennas deployed for data transmission as it executes a flyby of the habitable-zone world. The presence of multiple moons and a richly detailed planetary atmosphere emphasizes the complex celestial mechanics of this extrasolar system. . Interior illustration for Astronomy Magazine, July 2012. © Don Dixon
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