Now if you launch with conventional propulsion, most of the scientists would be retired or dead

With aerocapture, it's done all at once, ... You have a heat shield...you do the maneuver, and in 30 minutes you're in a circular orbit.

All of the thrusting is in the inner solar system, then it coasts.

It looks like it has the right thermal properties, so it can go near the sun and not overheat.

This will be humankind's first planned venture outside the solar system.

We've been fairly conservative when it comes to height. I don't see that being something that's going to change anytime soon.