When we think about the engineering required for an interstellar probe, it's easy to get absorbed in the obvious -- and admittedly very exciting -- challenges involving the propulsion system.
However, we also need to keep in mind that unless we can get scientific data from the probe back to Earth then there is very little point in getting the probe to another star at all. The data are the product that we have paid for; all the other engineering can be seen as the means to that end.
In this article I'll be looking at the communications and telemetry investigations that we have been undertaking for Project Icarus.
And interstellar communications is a VERY significant problem. To read more, click here.