Private group wants to launch "cheapest possible" mission to Alpha Centauri

Philip Johnston, a UK mathematician-physicist known for his work on the Fermi paradox, co-founded the orbital-data-center startup Starcloud in 2024, which is now valued at $2.3 billion. He argues that a “filter” may prevent advanced civilizations from dispatching probes to nearby stars, a view that underpins his advocacy for low-cost interstellar missions.