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>We're doing pretty well exploring our solar system. I wonder how the jump to other solar systems is going to be once we're 'done' here. We can reallydo a lot

>We're doing pretty well exploring our solar system. I wonder how the jump to other solar systems is going to be once we're 'done' here. We can reallydo a lot more in our current exploration. Ideally we would have a permanent human presence on the moon and Mars if budgets kept up. Also a good exploration of Europa, Titan and other moons. As of now we do not have the ability to travel to another solar system in a human lifetime and the technology to do so doesn't even seem possible. No hints at near light speed travel, let alone faster than light.

manmal 11y ago
There might be no need for faster-than-light travel because time passes very slowly for near-lightspeed travellers. They just can't expect to see their friends again once they return.
Grishnakh 11y ago
It's absolutely possible to travel to another star system in a human lifetime. (BTW, there's no such thing as "another solar system": there is only one Solar system, and that's our own. It's called that because our star is called "Sol", hence "Solar". Other systems are "star systems".) The tech doesn't exist now, but it could with antimatter propulsion. Basically, you just need to create a large spacecraft which can accelerate continuously at 1g. Then, you point the craft to Alpha Centauri and accelerate at 1g for half the distance, then spin around and decelerate at 1g for the second half. With 1g acceleration, you don't need artificial gravity. And the trip should take less 4 years from what I read here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=reb6mf99h3i7m8lvj9idsnvmu5&topic=34996.msg1217547#msg1217547 https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=reb6mf... The occupants of the trip will actually achieve apparent faster-than-light travel! (Alpha Centauri is almost 5ly distant.) Relativistic dilation at work. Of course, the problem is the huge amount of energy needed. But if they could achieve 0.1g acceleration, it's much less and the trip is still only 13 years; for 0.01g, it's 41 years, still within a human lifetime though a bit much. But that might even be possible with nuclear propulsion. So, in summary, it's absolutely possible to travel to other star systems within a human lifetime, as far as physics is concerned. However, building antimatter drives and obtaining enough antimatter fuel for the trip seems pretty impractical, and also unlikely that anyone will want to expend the resources to do that. But if you accept much lower acceleration, and combine that with cryogenic technology ("suspended animation") so that people don't need to age during the trip, it might be doable. But it'd be a one-way trip most likely, since everyone the passengers knew on Earth would be dead when they got back, unless of course we eliminate aging.
- IndianAstronaut 11y ago
  >BTW, there's no such thing as "another solar system": there is only one Solar system, and that's our own. It's called that because our star is called "Sol", hence "Solar". Other systems are "star systems".) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system >Basically, you just need to create a large spacecraft which can accelerate continuously at 1g. Then, you point the craft to Alpha Centauri and accelerate at 1g for half the distance, then spin around and decelerate at 1g for the second half. With 1g acceleration, you don't need artificial gravity. And the trip should take less 4 years from what I read here: You would need a colossal amount of energy to maintain that acceleration. I would believe 8 years, but the system is already 4 light years away.
  - Grishnakh 11y ago
    >http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System From Wikipedia: "This article is about the Sun and its planetary system. For other similar systems, see Star system and Planetary system." >You would need a colossal amount of energy to maintain that acceleration. I would believe 8 years, but the system is already 4 light years away. And your belief is wrong. I already gave you a reference. The trip takes less than the distance in light-speed. A trip to the center of the galaxy at even 0.1g acceleration takes far, far less than the lightyear distance, in ship-time.

manmal 11y ago

There might be no need for faster-than-light travel because time passes very slowly for near-lightspeed travellers. They just can't expect to see their friends again once they return.

Grishnakh 11y ago

It's absolutely possible to travel to another star system in a human lifetime. (BTW, there's no such thing as "another solar system": there is only one Solar system, and that's our own. It's called that because our star is called "Sol", hence "Solar". Other systems are "star systems".) The tech doesn't exist now, but it could with antimatter propulsion. Basically, you just need to create a large spacecraft which can accelerate continuously at 1g. Then, you point the craft to Alpha Centauri and accelerate at 1g for half the distance, then spin around and decelerate at 1g for the second half. With 1g acceleration, you don't need artificial gravity. And the trip should take less 4 years from what I read here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=reb6mf99h3i7m8lvj9idsnvmu5&topic=34996.msg1217547#msg1217547 https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=reb6mf... The occupants of the trip will actually achieve apparent faster-than-light travel! (Alpha Centauri is almost 5ly distant.) Relativistic dilation at work. Of course, the problem is the huge amount of energy needed. But if they could achieve 0.1g acceleration, it's much less and the trip is still only 13 years; for 0.01g, it's 41 years, still within a human lifetime though a bit much. But that might even be possible with nuclear propulsion. So, in summary, it's absolutely possible to travel to other star systems within a human lifetime, as far as physics is concerned. However, building antimatter drives and obtaining enough antimatter fuel for the trip seems pretty impractical, and also unlikely that anyone will want to expend the resources to do that. But if you accept much lower acceleration, and combine that with cryogenic technology ("suspended animation") so that people don't need to age during the trip, it might be doable. But it'd be a one-way trip most likely, since everyone the passengers knew on Earth would be dead when they got back, unless of course we eliminate aging.

IndianAstronaut 11y ago
>BTW, there's no such thing as "another solar system": there is only one Solar system, and that's our own. It's called that because our star is called "Sol", hence "Solar". Other systems are "star systems".) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system >Basically, you just need to create a large spacecraft which can accelerate continuously at 1g. Then, you point the craft to Alpha Centauri and accelerate at 1g for half the distance, then spin around and decelerate at 1g for the second half. With 1g acceleration, you don't need artificial gravity. And the trip should take less 4 years from what I read here: You would need a colossal amount of energy to maintain that acceleration. I would believe 8 years, but the system is already 4 light years away.
- Grishnakh 11y ago
  >http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar-system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System From Wikipedia: "This article is about the Sun and its planetary system. For other similar systems, see Star system and Planetary system." >You would need a colossal amount of energy to maintain that acceleration. I would believe 8 years, but the system is already 4 light years away. And your belief is wrong. I already gave you a reference. The trip takes less than the distance in light-speed. A trip to the center of the galaxy at even 0.1g acceleration takes far, far less than the lightyear distance, in ship-time.