What kind of propulsion do you guys think would be available by 2030 for interstellar space travel?
As all money from Nasa is using to the mid 2020 for the SLS there will be no new advances propulsion technology available in 2030.
Quote from: Khadgars on 11/23/2011 09:38 pmWhat kind of propulsion do you guys think would be available by 2030 for interstellar space travel? As all money from Nasa is using to the mid 2020 for the SLS there will be no new advances propulsion technology available in 2030.
Right... the budget just passed allocates 27% for Science and only 10% for SLS. But let's not let facts get in the way of a good diatribe.
... suggested a 5 megawatt fission reactor utilizing 16 metric tonnes of H2 propellant. Targeting a launch in the mid-21st century, it would accelerate to 200 AU/year over 4200 AU and reach the star Epsilon Eridani after 3400 years of travel in the year 5500 AD.However, this was a 2nd generation vision for a probe and the study acknowledged that even 20 AU/year might not be possible with then current (2002) technology.
(with the possible exception of a Project Orion-type nuclear pulse drive, which is out of the question since it is a political no-go as it is a breach of the Outer Space Treaty and contrary to the spirit of nuclear disarmement. Plus, the drive's NEMP would also wreck havoc on our communication satellites and electronics grid on Earth if were lit up anywhere near our planet).
You do not need to light it this side of jupiter, do you ? Neither would you need to launch reactor and the fuel in the same container. We are talking a century lasting mission anyway, so there really would not be much rush for the mission staging.
What are the chances of a flagship mission in the 2030's to either Proxima Centauri which is the closest to us at 4.2 LY or Epsilon Eridani at 10.5 LY but is the closest system to be know to harbor a planet? Which one do you think makes the most sense?What kind of propulsion do you guys think would be available by 2030 for interstellar space travel?
One of the best sites for this subject: http://www.centauri-dreams.org/It has extensive coverage of all aspects of interstellar flight. Recommend you have a read (if you haven't already done so) before you go posting on this thread.
Quote from: douglas100 on 11/24/2011 11:04 pmOne of the best sites for this subject: http://www.centauri-dreams.org/It has extensive coverage of all aspects of interstellar flight. Recommend you have a read (if you haven't already done so) before you go posting on this thread.Thank you very much for the link. I did not know the site, but appreciate the overwhelming information over there. Need more time to read...
Catching up on Voyager missions got me thinking about a flagship mission to one of our closest neighbors for anyone that's interested.What are the chances of a flagship mission in the 2030's to either Proxima Centauri which is the closest to us at 4.2 LY or Epsilon Eridani at 10.5 LY but is the closest system to be know to harbor a planet? Which one do you think makes the most sense?
We can create a million mile-base interferometers on much shorter timeframes and image planets and moons in those star systems than we can actually reach them with a (necessarily very weight-limited) probe.er stars.
Catching up on Voyager missions got me thinking about a flagship mission to one of our closest neighbors for anyone that's interested.What are the chances of a flagship mission in the 2030's to either Proxima Centauri which is the closest to us at 4.2 LY or Epsilon Eridani at 10.5 LY but is the closest system to be know to harbor a planet? Which one do you think makes the most sense?What kind of propulsion do you guys think would be available by 2030 for interstellar space travel?
First of all, there is no current or forseeable propulsion system capable of propelling such a craft to destination in any sort of useful time-frame