Mission details

What is it?

The A* Challenge is simple: Fly from Sol (or Wolf 359) to Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy, and record your time for doing so.

Of course, this being an endurance run there is a little bit of challenge in that, not least the troubles of plotting routes in the galactic core. The clock starts on launch from Galileo / Lomas Orbiter, and ends upon arrival at Sagittarius A*. The time recorded is total elapsed time, so that includes any breaks, time asleep, at work, whatever. The clock doesn't stop ticking when you're offline.

Some take the challenge as a means to push the limits and see just how fast it can be done. Others have a go at just getting the best time for their ship class. Yet others are more about giving a permanent record of completing the trip, regardless of time. All are welcome to the A* Challenge.

The start line is Galileo in Sol, or Lomas Orbiter in Wolf 359 for those who don't have access to Sol.
The finish line is at Sagittarius A*.



Warning: This is a long way. 25,900 light years, give or take. This is the marathon of the racing world, not a sprint - expect to spend upwards of 12 hours in the cockpit.

Classes

Entries will be accepted in three classes: Classic, Neutron and Unlimited.

Classic Class entries must abide by the following regulations:

• (Engineer-)modified modules are not permitted.
• Enhanced Performance Thrusters are not permitted.
• Items only available from technology brokers, including all modules based upon Guardian technology, are not permitted.
• The use of materials synthesis (e.g. FSD Injection or AFM refill) is not permitted.
• The use of FSD supercharging (from neutron stars or white dwarfs) is not permitted.

(This class is thus comparable to all previous runs, and available to Commanders who do not have the Horizons season pass)

Neutron Class is for runs that do make use of FSD supercharging from neutron stars (or white dwarfs), but would otherwise be eligible for Classic class (i.e. no engineering or materials synthesis).

Unlimited Class is for entries that do make use of (engineer-)modified modules, Enhanced Thrusters, items from technology brokers and/or materials synthesis (e.g. FSD Injection).

Rules and regulations

• Starting point is either Galileo (orbiting the Moon) in Sol, or Lomas Orbiter in Wolf 359 for those who don't have access to Sol. Record the start with a screenshot of the station clock on the launch pad.
• Finish line is entry to the Sagittarius A* system. Record the finish with a screenshot of the galaxy map showing the time and date with current location as Sagittarius A*.
• Entries only accepted for runs completed in Open Play, in the main game universe (runs in the beta universe(s) don't count).
• The A* Challenge is open to any ship, and to players on any platform (PC, Mac, Xbox or PS4).
• Like the Buckyball Runs, we operate on an honour basis here. There's nothing I can do to stop you from faking screenshots or using exploits. But where's the benefit in that? It wouldn't get you anything, except a lasting feeling of shame. This is all about doing the run for the fun of it, and because you can.

The A* Challenge is open for the long term. Make the run at any time, with no deadline. For full details on rules and how to enter, see the race thread here.