Future of space flight?

[dragon04]

<b>If</b> we had a sufficient reason (like an extinction event sized impactor), we'd build a bunch of nuclear-pulse Orion ships and get off this rock ASAP.<br /><br />We could build them tomorrow if we had to. But there's the rub. We don't have to, thank goodness.<br /><br />I'm like a lot of you guys. I'd like to see a Mars Mission before I die. I likely won't. And honestly, there's no hurry. The stars will keep the lights on for us. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[richalex]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>If we had a sufficient reason (like an extinction event sized impactor), we'd build a bunch of nuclear-pulse Orion ships and get off this rock ASAP.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>I think it would be easier to build survivable habitats on Earth than it would be to find refuge elsewhere. So, I don't believe that a massive impactor would be enough of a reason for us to abandon Earth. It would require something so massive that even an enclosed habitat would not help, something like Sun going super giant, or someone building a hyperspace expressway through here.

 

[thebigcat]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>In the first place, only average life expectancy has increased. The maximum age is still less than 125 years (I don't remember the exact number, but I think it is around 114 years). <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Somewhere in there. Anyway, the reason for the increase in average life expectancy is that fewer people are dying young. That's the major part of it, anyway. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[sphynx]

<br />In June from 2005 the AAAS offered its first prize to the paper of Drausher/Hauser/Heim above-mentioned to a novel system of spatial propulsion of nature hipergravitacional. <br /><br />The base of the system of impulsion proposed by H.Droscher and J.Hauser is the twisting, deformation or annulment of a gravitational field by the induction of magnetic fields. <br /><br />Said idea, is not novel, comes being investigated for the NASA for various years. <br /><br />But the idea of Droscher/Hauser has a very different context that stems from the theories of a very little acquaintance and brilliant German physicist, Burkhardt Heim and they leave from the idea of a space 8-dimensional where the gravity and the electromagnetism work as a single force<br /><br />The mechanism proposed supposes a powerful revolving magnetic field that annuls the gravitational field of the vehicle that carries it facilitating the step extradimensional to regions where the laws physical acquaintances, the constant and the same velocity of the light it could be altered. <br /><br />Put it to test would require a ring enormous newspaper placed on a superconductive reel to create an intense magnetic field. A spaceship of 150 tons would need to create magnetic field of 25 teslas, the equivalent one to 500,000 times the force of the magnetic field of the land.<br /><br /> In that state, the gravitofotones (particles contemplated in the Theory of Heim) would do mutually with conventional gravity to produce a force antigravedad revolting, achieving thus not alone the impulse, but the leap dimensional and to reach velocities several times superiors to that of the light, which would permit to reach Mars in less than 3 hours and in 30 you gave to Alpha Centauri. <br /><br />Does not it stop calling powerfully the attention that this project, that was not submitted to the analysis of its peers, have been rewarded by the AIAA; is very probable that have influenced in its inspectors, that the paper is based o

 

[chyten]

I think this is far too simplistic an extrapolation (extrapolations usually are <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />), but I expect complete organ replacement to become available within 50 years and brain augmentation within 100 years. At that point immortality will be a reality in the same sense that a car can be immortal if you keep replacing worn-out parts forever. I do not believe immortality, or even significant lifespan increase, <b>in the original body</b> can occur without major genetic re-engineering.

 

[chyten]

<b>With rare exceptions quality of life stinks after age 100.</b><br /><br />Actually, it does not. Only very healthy people live to the age of 100; paradoxically, an average 100-year old is healthier and more functional than an average 75-year old. And in general, quality of life in every age cohort (50-60, 60-70, etc.) has increased dramatically over last 40 years. The phrase "50 is a new 40" is not wishful thinking.

 

[bdewoody]

But that still does not allow for a trip to a nearby star and a return home before all your friends and relatives are long dead. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[nimbus]

It would if they had taken a similar trip themselves. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[wick07]

<font color="yellow">But that still does not allow for a trip to a nearby star and a return home before all your friends and relatives are long dead. </font><br /><br />To be fair until rather recently you couldn't do that on earth. It wasn't really until the 19th century that crossing the Atlantic wasn't a one way trip (at least for anyone other than the wealthy or government employed). I think it is fair that the first generation of interplanetary (let alone interstellar) pioneers will be on a one way trip, and know it, and be okay with it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#3366ff"><strong>_______________________________<em> </em></strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"</em>If you are surrounded by those who constatly agree with you, then you're in an intellectual vacuum.  If you feel like trying to make a difference, you have to BE different.  How can you do that without interacting with those who are different from yourself?"</font></p><p><font color="#0000ff">-  a_lost_packet_</font></p> </div>

 

[venator_3000]

I believe there may be two paths to interstellar exploration.<br /><br />In the first scenario humans would colonize comets (specifically KBOs /Oort Cloud bodies) and nudge them through increasingly wider arcs from their parent stars. These would possibly eventually migrate to the Oort Clouds of other stars. It would take millenia, and given the richness of the Oort Cloud, the colonists may not wish to venture any further.<br /><br />Also in this scenario Bussard ramscoops would travel at near c to explore various stars. These would either be cybernetic sondes or some type of craft manned with augmented humans or computer systems that were effectively mirror images of human personalities. In this scenario someone actually goes starward, and humans in one form or another are our representatives.<br /><br />In the second scenario we go out there by proxy. By this I mean we utilize packets or capsules that are microscopic or nanoscopic or attoscopic scaled. These tiny, invisible ships are launched at near c by some sort of linear accelerator system. The ships are "shot-gunned" toward the stars with as many sent forth as possible. There will be a high attrition rate, of course. But some may eventually land on some planetary body around another star. They are coded with DNA and some type of programming to effectively use whatever resources they find to create a hab and crew. The initial creations from these packets would sort of learn as they go and would begin building smaller systems and then bigger systems and ultimately a hab and perhaps even modifiying or tailoring the crew for a given environment. <br /><br />The process would, again, take centuries or millenia. But it might be a viable and cheap alternative to building massive starships where only a few people could go. Indeed, you could even imagine schemes where individuals, organizations, governments, or religions pay to have DNA and some core programming sent to the stars. <br /><br />I've submitted this proposal and ap <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[cdub]

I just watched an episode of "The Universe" in relation to space travel (with a rather large grain of salt of course). They do paint some very fantastic ideas as plausible but I had never heard of tachyons before. Who wants to take a stab at explaining the theory behind this to a novice?

 

[h2ouniverse]

in reply to<br />--------<br />The 3 years in ten is likely due to statistical analysis errors<br />--------<br />Mmmm. No. The trend has been there for too long to be ignoredor labeled "statistical analysis errors". In most developped countries the rate is about 3 months per year. Worldwide it is about 6 months per year.<br /><br />This being said here you talk about a trend nourished by the improvement in health at iso-genome (and more secured lifes indeed for young people). That will clearly not last forever. But the huge increases to come in life expectancy will be brought by disruptive bio-engineering technologies. At that stage we progressively take control and everything becomes possible...

 

[bdewoody]

All of you who believe we will be able to travel to other star systems have some great ideas but none of those ideas address the point of my original post.<br /><br />The point was will we ever invent/discover a means to travel between star systems where we can get back to earth in the same decade we left. If it is truly impossible due to relativity then I doubt that there will ever be inter stallar commerce. Whats the good in buying or selling something if the transaction takes a century or two to close.<br /><br />It's frustrating that the "Grand Designer" made the universe as vast and interesting as it is and us smart enough to eventually figure it out but have no way to explore it other than by telescope or remote probes. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[jsmoody]

But we would be able to colonize habitable planets if any are found. Or study them both in person and remotely. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> No amount of belief makes something a fact" - James Randi </div>

 

[richalex]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I had never heard of tachyons before. Who wants to take a stab at explaining the theory behind this to a novice?<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>Tachyons are commonly mentioned in sci-fi. I'm pretty certain they were mentioned on "Star Trek." Anyway, the idea is that the velocity c is a sort of high point of velocity that no massive particle can reach, but can exist on either side of it. That is, some particle cannot travel slower than c, just as some particles cannot travel faster. Tachyons are particles that cannot slow down to c or lower (it takes increasing amounts of energy to slow tachyons). No one has ever detected tachyons, and the detection would be strange, because they would seem to cease to exist before they were created.

 

[richalex]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>the huge increases to come in life expectancy will be brought by disruptive bio-engineering technologies. At that stage we progressively take control and everything becomes possible... <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>Just like fusion!

 

[venator_3000]

Well, the basic premise seemed to be the question: will we explore in person or forever be given one-way trips & passive telescopic observation?<br /><br />I don't know if we will ever exceed lightspeed. I like the idea, and I find the theories of Dr. Alcubierre rather alluring, but what I know of science (and I am not an expert in theoretical propulsion by any means!) suggests that c will forever be the limit.<br /><br />But that limiting parameter isn't a bad thing, IMO. We currently explore via our robots and I will say the daily MER images are a wonder. I have a pre-Mariner map of Mars on my office wall that was developed by the Air Force. It has swathes of shadow on it listed as canals per the old Lowell maps. Not quaint, but based on the data available at the time. So, I view the robotic probes as a wonder.<br /><br />In the future when we do travel between the stars humans in some form will go. They will radio back what they find. Colonies around other stars will report back to Earth and be met either with some combination of interest or disinterest, I am sure. Ultimately, I believe the currency or commerce between an interstellar civilization will be radioed or masered information. The technology of computer simulation and VR may reach a point where we may even be able to "visit" these worlds via some sort of holosuite like in the Bradbury story or on Star Trek. <br /><br />Ships will ply the starlanes, I believe, but what they carry will be considered precious: a material for study, a life form, an idea, an artifact, a person. But caravels filled with gold or stellar spice and liquors might never happen (darn, I was hoping for those Rigellian stogies). <br /><br />So, in this scenario with near-c starships, if you want to get there and back in under a decade then the triplet of stars we sometimes collectively call "Alpha Centauri" might be the place to visit. <br /><br />Just my opinion, of course. <br /><br />v3k <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>