other than our own. Also, one must not forget the possibility that the Alpha Centauri system contains planets. These instruments could also provide data on the radiation and thermal environment of any planets in the system.
The High-Energy Particle Detectors are one of the few types of instruments which will be active during the transit to the objective system. Hard data on the energy level and density of such particles could provide insight into the origin and eventual fate of the universe.
The Astrometrical Telescopes will be the backbone of the mission. By providing the data to accurately determine the distance to the further stars, these instruments will advance the study of stellar characteristics immeasurably. The only limit to this aspect of the mission will be the endurance of the spacecraft. (The section on the objective system contains an explanation of how this will be accomplished.)
The Wide-Band Spectro-photometers will determine the composition of the stars and any planet sized bodies which the system may contain.
The Magnetometers will also be in use during the entire life of the probe. These instruments will provide extensive data on what should prove to be the very interesting magnetic field of a trinary star system. Also, they will provide the first hard data on the galactic magnetic field and how it interacts with the magnetic field and how it interacts with the magnetic fields of our own solar system and the
