It is impossible to travel faster than light, but in order to travel 4 kpc in a reasonable amount of time, we will have to borrow from science fiction and travel in "hyperspace". We emphasize that "hyperspace" and "hyperdrives" are not real. Neither can we use the space shuttle to get where we are going. The shuttle is meant only for use in Earth orbit. We will have to invent a new kind of spacecraft for our purposes.

It is a sunny and humid Florida day. Your team suits up and are driven out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. Your space ship awaits. It is the Spaceship Andromeda and it is outfitted with hyperdrives - your journey to the mysterious source, located 4 kiloparsecs away will be short. Your team is put in an elevator and you board the ship, each taking a seat. There is a control panel in front of you. There are 3 computer screens, and in the middle, a window that shows you the sky above the spaceship. You are almost clear for launch. You will next proceed to Stage 1. When the lower middle computer screen tells you that you are clear for launch, press play on the upper middle screen to start the countdown.