Fill in the Blanks Proxima centauryOnline version The closest star to us by David Sánchez Bastia 1 Proxima Centauri is the closets star to the Sun . Proxima Centauri has been as a logical first for travel , although as a flare star it would not be particularly . The current standard spaceship , the Space Shuttle , in orbit at 7 . 8 / s . At that , it would take 160 , 000 to reach Proxima . The fastest man - made spacecraft , the Helios II deep space probe , has set a speed record of 70 . 2 / s . Even at that , the to Proxima Centauri would take 18 , 000 years . The proposed VASIMR propulsion system , possibly able to achieve up to 300 km / s , would shorten the to a " mere " 4 , 200 years ? still firmly beyond the current lifespan of both man and . It follows that travel would require radically new to become feasible . Requiring us to use faster , larger and stronger .
New game