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Project Hail Mary

The article examines the relativistic physics of the interstellar journey depicted in Andy Weir’s *Project Hail Mary*, calculating travel times to the 11.92‑light‑year‑distant star Tau Ceti under constant 1.5 g acceleration. Using hyperbolic motion formulas, it finds a nonstop acceleration profile would take about 12.55 years Earth time (2.37 years ship time) and arrive at 99.87% light speed. A more realistic half‑way‑flip maneuver yields 13.15 years Earth time and 3.9 years ship time, while lower‑gravity or coasting profiles extend the trip modestly but reduce physiological strain. The piece also highlights human‑health limits of prolonged high‑g environments.