“I think it’s reasonable to expect we could find a nearby one within the next decade,” Bambi said in the statement.
Today, building the necessary laser array would cost around $1.1 trillion, far beyond the reach of current science budgets. But if trends in technology continue, Bambi estimates that cost could fall to around one billion euros within 30 years, putting it on par with current flagship space missions.
“We don’t have the technology now,” Bambi said in the statement. “But in 20 or 30 years, we might.”