Speed of Space Travel

[tastyvenison]

What is our current rate of space travel? I ask this because I am curious as to how long it would take a space craft to reach this new planet if it is 20.5 light years away.

 

[MeteorWayne]

About 300,000 years <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /><br /><br />The probes heading out of the solar system are moving:<br /><br />Pioneer 11....11.5 km/sec<br />Pioneer 10....12.1 km/sec<br />Voyager 2....15.5 km/sec<br />Voyager 1....17.1 km/sec<br /><br />New Horizons is currently traveling 21.4 km/sec, but is just passing Jupiter's orbit, so will be moving much slower once it passes Pluto.<br /><br />Light travels at ~ 300,000 km/sec <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

An interesting reference:<br /><br />http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/weekly-reports/index.htm <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[heyscottie]

Check out www.heavens-above.com<br /><br />Among many other cool things, it shows the speeds and positions of spacecraft escaping our solar system, such as the Voyagers, Pioneers, and New Horizons. The parameters are updated dynamically, so you always have the best answer.

 

[docm]

Build a probe powered continuously by an electric drive (ion, PIT etc), give it enough fuel and a small nuclear reactor and you could add a couple of zeros to the left of the decimal of those speeds. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[heyscottie]

Sweet! Then it would only take 3000 years to get there....<br /><br />Without something radical, we won't be getting there, or to any other star.

 

[MeteorWayne]

That's where I got my numbers from. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[heyscottie]

Yeah, I thought you might have ... those numbers all matched what you said!

 

[MeteorWayne]

I meant to attribute the source, but had to run to the bank before the AIM launch so didn't have time.<br /><br />Just so I do the right thing, and everyone has the info, here is the Heavens-Above Spacecraft Leaving the Solar System page. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Gravity boosts are very common for NASA probes to the outer Solar System. There has been some discussion of multiple gravity assists that go out to Jupiter & then back towards the Sun & using the Sun for the final assist. The probe would then be sent on a trajectory that takes the probe out of the Solar System in the direction of the north or south pole of the Sun & into the plane of the Galaxy. This would send a probe to the outer edge of the Heliosphere in as little as 50 years. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> Without radically different propulsion, we will not get to Gliese 581C without many thousands of years travel. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[qso1]

Humans aboard Apollo spacecraft hit 7 miles per second during TLI which is the fastest humans have ever gone. The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second.<br /><br />Apollo traveled at .0035% speed of light. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[tastyvenison]

Thanks to all posters. I appreciate the links.