ACEP

The Alpha Centauri Exploratory Probe (ACEP) is the uncrewed reconnaissance and technology-validation spacecraft assigned as the first operational vehicle within the 1gSpace Proxima Centauri mission architecture.

The vehicle operates under a continuous 1 g acceleration-deceleration mission profile and is currently referenced by mission elapsed time: MET T+calculating.

ACEP validates the core engineering assumptions required by later program stages: Dual-Core Magnetically Confined Antiproton-Augmented Fusion Reactor (DCMCAAFR) propulsion, autonomous mission control, high-latency navigation, long-duration subsystem stability, and deep-space data return.

Although smaller than the later interstellar vehicles, ACEP provides the first operational baseline for the full mission chain, constraining the design of ISV Innes, ISV Anglada, ISV Proxima, and the surface-site validation sequence for Eternal Sunset.

PUBLIC TELEMETRY

Public mission telemetry presenting selected trajectory state, timing data, velocity profile, and event markers for external monitoring of the ACEP flight sequence.

View ACEP Public Telemetry

ADVANCED TELEMETRY

Full-resolution operational telemetry exposing internal subsystem states, derived metrics, and control behavior across all mission phases.

View ACEP Advanced Telemetry

DOCUMENTATION

The ACEP Mission and Spacecraft Guide provides a public overview of mission objectives, vehicle architecture, propulsion, power, communications, and autonomous operations.

The complete Spacecraft and Mission Reference Handbook and Advanced Telemetry Operators' Manual are available exclusively to ACEP Advanced Telemetry members. Sign in and open the Manual page to access the full documentation.

MISSION ROLE

ACEP functions as the first autonomous reconnaissance asset in the Proxima Centauri mission sequence. Its primary role is to reduce uncertainty before crewed survey, logistics deployment, and permanent surface infrastructure are committed.

After orbital arrival, the spacecraft characterizes the local operating environment around Proxima b, including orbital conditions, atmospheric behavior, surface morphology, thermal distribution, radiation exposure, magnetic-field structure, and candidate twilight-zone operating regions.

The initial science phase is concentrated on high-priority remote sensing and environmental assessment. AURAI manages observation scheduling, instrument pointing, data prioritization, and transmission planning under multi-year communication latency, without reliance on real-time ground control.

ACEP also deploys the ACEP Atmos descent element for direct atmospheric sampling. During its controlled entry sequence, ACEP Atmos returns pressure, temperature, composition, imaging, and descent-phase observational data before terminal loss, providing the first in-situ atmospheric reference for later vehicle and lander design.

The resulting dataset informs the ISV Innes crewed survey phase, lander operating constraints, Eternal Sunset site validation, ISV Anglada cargo requirements, and the downstream ISV Proxima colony-transport stage. After the primary science window, ACEP can remain in extended low-power orbital persistence as a long-duration observation and telemetry asset.

ACEP TRAJECTORY

ACEP accelerates at 1 g for 644 days, reverses thrust at midcourse, then brakes at 1 g until arrival. Explore the 1,288-day onboard transfer from a LEO Earth orbit to a 200 km polar orbit around Proxima b.

DEPARTURE: Earth · 200 km
TRANSFER: 1,288 days
ARRIVAL: Polar orbit · 200 km