Reaching interstellar space could be far simpler than we thought, thanks to a new idea called TARS, or "Torqued Accelerator using Radiation from the Sun." It's essentially a solar-powered centrifuge that can slingshot tiny probes to speeds greater than the escape velocity required to exit the solar system.

Undertaking an interstellar mission "is one of the most challenging problems that humanity is ever going to face," David Kipping, the scientist behind the idea for TARS, toldSpace.com.

TARS, named after the robot from the 2014 film "Interstellar," could potentially be a way to travel to other stars. TARS requires no fusion reactors, no gigawatt laser — and not even a chemical rocket (other than to launch TARS from Earth). Instead, the beauty of TARS lies in its simplicity. Here's how i

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