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how does it slow itself down for entry into the alpha centauri system? seems like it would just blow past it



It doesn't. It snaps some pics, sends them back and moves on.


Actually, the Wikipedia page for the project notes in one of the subsections:

> The travel times are for the spacecraft to travel to the star and then enter orbit around the star (using photon pressure in maneuvers similar to aerobraking).

Not sure how trustworthy that information is but this kind of "aerobraking" at least seems possible in principle.




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