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/sci/ - Science & Math

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10245348 No.10245348 [Reply] [Original]

Let's assume we have all the necessary infrastructure in place for orbital construction and money/resources aren't an issue. How close are we to constructing an actual interstellar spaceship in terms of available technology?

When we think about spaceships we typically think of:
>speed in terms of percentage of light speed
>artificial gravity
>inertial dampeners
>stasis technologies

Even though advances are being made, if we ignore the stasis tech and are willing to wait a couple of decades to get to our destinations then I think we are already there. With our current level of technology we can probably achieve at least 15-20% the speed of light by using nuclear pulse propulsion (nuclear bomb propulsion). Since our bodies are diamagnetic we could potentially use a strong enough electromagnetic field to create artificial gravity in space (this has already been done to paramecium samples here on Earth increasing the gravitational force on them to 10 g's). I believe this same method could also be applied to all directions to create inertial dampeners by creating momentary gravitational pulls to counteract any ship movements, especially when those nukes go off. The artificial gravity and inertial dampeners would require a lot of power and since solar won't always be an option I believe modern nuclear fission reactors would be sufficient. I think we're already there in terms of technology. Am I wrong?

We should be putting all of our resources towards exoterran resource extraction and space infrastructure.

>> No.10247525

bump
>>/sci/thread/6585660

>> No.10247533

>>10245348
>How close are we to interstellar travel?

exactly 4.3 light-years away

>> No.10247541

>>/sci/thread/6594045

>> No.10247566

https://www.aps.org/meetings/march/vpr/2006/upload/Karine_Guevorkian_Magnetic_Fields_Create_Artificial_Gravity_Chamber_for_Microorganisms.pdf

>> No.10248344

>>10245348
>we think of
Speak for yourself
Either way, we have the tech to do it, and have had it for decades now, the only reasons we haven't done it are politics and it being fuck ass expensive
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)
And last but not least
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_sail
Pushed by a high power laser stations along their route to a target star, either declerating with more lasers or with onboard fuel if the lasers have yet to be made

>> No.10248441

>>10245348
I feel like the solution is not propulsion,but manipulation of space by bending it in order to shrink the distance we have to travel

>> No.10248516

Project Orion is cool sure, but the amount of fissile material required for a payload of any reasonable size is fucking obscene. Without 0-fission ignition fusion there is no realistic way to achieve that kind of speed currently, so you are basically down to laser sails which have their own set of problems.

>> No.10248552

>>10248441
>the solution is not (simple but nonoptimal thing) it's (thing that requires infinite energy)

>> No.10248598

>>10248516
I honestly think we would be better off if that wikipedia page and all youtube videos disappeared about it. Probably the biggest popsci reddit meme out there about interstellar travel, to the point that it actually hinders real progress in propulsion systems

>> No.10248620
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10248620

>>10248598

>> No.10248652

>>10248620
A bit of research into the amount of enriched fissile fuel required for this method would have you quickly realising that you should be pointing that image at yourself. I'm not against the development of interstellar travel but project Orion is fucking retarded.

>> No.10249115

>>10248598
The only reason nuclear pulse propulsion was abandoned was because of the ban on nuclear weapons testing. It doesn't mean it's ineffective as a propulsion system.

>> No.10249124
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10249124

laser sails is the only way a man made probe can could reach a nearby star within our lifetime