Prometheus 6

AAHH! The solar sail! P6, I could talk you to death about the viablility and usefulness of this type of space travel. In my futurist meetings, the solar sail is discussed at length and we all agree that this is the way to do.

But your right, we'd probably be the aliens. :(

AAHH! The solar sail! P6, I could talk you to death about the viablility and usefulness of this type of space travel. In my futurist meetings, the solar sail is discussed at length and we all agree that this is the way to do.

I think, once we figure out how to keep sealed habitats viable long enough or decide to go totally robotic, solar sails have a great future intrasystem. Round trip to the asteroids and back is comparable to round trip times to across the Atlantic circa 1600's.

But they didn't have to carry their own air.

For interstellar travel, they need constant acceleration, and after you get a certain distance a star just won't provide it. A supplemental ion drive would do it.

But that would be a Generation ship. SERIOUS need for that sustainable sealed systems work.

For interstellar travel, they need constant acceleration, and after you get a certain distance a star just won't provide it. A supplemental ion drive would do it.

Most definitely. Researchers are seriously looking into nuclear engines since they provide 2 to 3 times the force needed to propel a spacecraft. But the dreamers among us are taking about field propulsion or the use of field generations to "roll" a craft through space at incredible speeds (similar to Star Trek's warp field). Clean and with capacity for light-speed. I talked to a University of Michigan physics professor a few months ago about field generators. He told the theory is sound but the problem is producing/procuring a "substance" that generates a such a field. Also it would take a fundamental change in the way we view space propulsion (i.e. rolling a object instead of pushing it).

He told the theory is sound but the problem is producing/procuring a "substance" that generates a such a field.

He was being very gentle. I'm trying to imagine the nature of such a field. As far as I know you only have two forces with greater than Planck-scale range: electromagnetism and gravity. Notto mention that just attaining such speeds is dangerous…relativity means what I (sitting "still" planetside) see as a flashlight you (travelling at .5c) see as either weak radio waves if it's coming from behind you or a gamma ray laser if it's coming from someplace ahead of you.

Aproaching another star at .5c, the light becomes an unending shower of deadly radiation. So light sails and asteroids is what I'm seeing.

Some inertia or a way to magnify the pull of other gravity fields will be part of the model. Complex models and extremely specific trajectories are part of that.

Three point reference observations. Note probes in multiple moon orbit paths, density readings of fields that support many items (asteroid belts) the patterns which come up give the best idea how to use a physcial model in the space environment.

Using the field of gravity to accelerate/decelerate.

Pulsars are the best model for interraltionships of active energy. So much to be learned still...

The idea of the actual surface of the object being traveled in haves full capacity to absorb and reflect for the model you describe sounds like the approach to use.

Chamaeleon skin that has both qualities inherent sounds like the solution.

A surface density that reflects at certain wavelengths/frequencies most associated with the accelerated dangers.

I'm an amateur hack at physics, and everything else for that matter. Just brainstorming...

Mr. Murder:

Some inertia or a way to magnify the pull of other gravity fields will be part of the model.

That's not even possible.

A surface density that reflects at certain wavelengths/frequencies most associated with the accelerated dangers.

Possibly a flaw in my own imaginagion, but I can't picture reflecting gamma radiation. Not for very long. And you'd still have to be concerned about ramming things like random molecules...at half light speed it would be no joke.

P6 and Mr. Murder: this conversation is precisely why I'm an advocate of more research money going to space travel. But I know I seem silly in many circles since the "money and power folk" don't get it and systematically make sure that many of "us" don't get it. I can and I can't see how people minimize the importance of space travel and the importance of finding worlds like ours. And mentioning "life out there" still gets you "the look".

Finding ways to let the surface of the vehicle store/transfer energy could perhaps do that.

Stored energy has magnetic property to it. Using that polarity in movement perhaps at accelerated levels?

Light as particles not as wavelengths?

Finding a way to transmit a magnetic field before the object that would clear such items and be an inherent part of the structural surface of the vehicle.

Polarity's role in relativity. As for the nuc-yoo-lar fuels, they'll soon find ways to enhance them synthetically. Or even use of reduced gravity cetrifuge bonding to make the structure of the energy with greater release potential.

But in using a field to deflect these would the resulting accelerated particles start chain reactions elsewhere? Like waves off a ship sent through calm water...

The curse of relative theory. :(

For all the probabilty it has unleashed it eventually limits those same possibilites.

Yes 'life out there' seems like a great thing to seek.Of course we have humans have to realize maximum of 'life in here' on this planet.

They are like a maturity process. We cannot fully appreciate one without having achieved the other.

...we as humans have to realize...

I'ma wrap this up with my vote for space travel, exploration, and just pure research in general.

See, right now my understanding doesn't let me be very accepting of Mr. Murder's speculations. But who could project radio, radar, microwavce ovens and lasers when Maxwell's equations were worked out?

I don't limit the possible. I just limit my plans to the probable.