The Design of the Beetles

Steve Hatch designs the beetle probes that will carry data back to Earth from Tau Ceti.

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Hatch's Enthusiasm

The Optimistic Engineer Meeting Steve Hatch Steve Hatch, a Canadian engineer from the University of British Columbia, brings a prototype beetle to Grace's office on the carrier. He is irrepressibly optimistic, even in the face of the apocalypse. He explains the beetle's design: a small, autonomous spacecraft powered by Astrophage, capable of navigating by starlight. The Beetle's Capabilities The beetle can accelerate at 500 g's, reaching 0.93 c in a short time. It carries a redundant data array and a spin drive. Hatch has named the prototype 'Pete' after Pete Best, the original Beatles drummer. The four flight models will be named John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Grace's Skepticism Grace is initially skeptical of Hatch's cheerfulness, but he recognizes the brilliance of the design. The beetles are a critical component of the mission: they will carry the results back to Earth. Hatch's work is a testament to the ingenuity and hope that still exists in humanity.

Launching the Beetles

The Final Hope for Earth Preparing the Beetles After the Taumoeba contamination crisis, Grace decides to send the beetles to Earth with the data and Taumoeba mini-farms. He refuels them and installs the farms. The beetles are his only way to ensure that his discoveries reach humanity, even if he himself dies. The Launch Grace launches John, Paul, George, and Ringo from the Hail Mary's nose. Each beetle carries a USB stick of scientific data and a sealed capsule of Taumoeba-80. The beetles accelerate away, their spin drives flaring. Grace watches them disappear into the darkness, hoping they will survive the journey. The Legacy Years later, on Erid, Grace learns that the beetles succeeded. Earth received the data and used the Taumoeba to save the Sun. Hatch's design proved reliable. The beetles become a symbol of human ingenuity and the enduring connection between Earth and its distant explorer.

During the mission preparation

After Grace's decision to rescue Rocky