[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grabby', '
')That is correct. It was planned that way, and we aren't leaving it in any rocket.
The experiment is almost over, and we were found too selfish.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grabby', '
')I think scientists have lost their collective minds.

[MonteQuest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'D')id you study ecology of extraterresterial planets?How can you be sure that "earthly" plants cannot grow on extraterresterial planet if composition of atmosphere (and rock) would be closely remaining ours?

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grabby', '
')Fusion requires throwing mass out the back for three years. No MSB\scss contained space ship has enough mass to throw out the back for three years.

[Atlantean_Relic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'D')id you study ecology of extraterresterial planets?How can you be sure that "earthly" plants cannot grow on extraterresterial planet if composition of atmosphere (and rock) would be closely remaining ours?

[untothislast]

Is this thread for real? We can't even wean ourselves off the infernal combustion engine, yet there are people here pinning their hopes on starships.

Laugh? I thought I'd never start.

[Ludi]

It's a hoot, ain't it?





I have no problem with it, really. If folks want to go live in space, they should get right on it!

[rwwff]

On earthly planets, I think the idea was that we'd ship the earthly plants to a planet with a reasonably compatible atmosphere. Think along the lines of bacteria and algae; not wombats and philodendrin.

More horrible thought.... imagine if this poor planet happened to already have intelligent but pre-industrial (or worse post industrial) critters. As it enters their solar system, the Earth's carrier vessel splits open and 1500 small, mirv like capsules deploy in a cone, covering the entire planet as it rotates with green algae, bacteria, and mold spores. Imagine the thoughts of a species that had successfully navigated the power down and population reduction, leaving themselves very highly educated in both art and science, but localized and without mass industrial capacity. Someone spots the incoming carrier in the telescope, and they think, wow, we're not alone after all, lets greet these peaceful travellers from afar. Then they see it open up and deploy. They think, hmmm, not a bad way to get mass down to the surface without having to bleed off all that excess velocity, we better organize some search parties to help them collect their stuff. The mirvs come down... at 500 feet above the surface they "pop"... Far overhead, the carrier hull reenteres and burns up. Our alien friends, think, "how sad, we'll have to have a memorial service for those intrepid travellers who almost made it." A few minutes later, the ecologist, holding his "tricorder"/"palmtop" walks over to the search coordinator... "uh...Bob. You need to see something." a moment passes as all the blue leaves the coordinators face. Bob finally replies, in a stunned whisper, "oh.".

Talk about an ultimate form of biological warfare.

It is a silly topic though.. Still, I'd do anything to read or watch some spacefaring sci-fi that doesn't involve aero-banking space fighters or faster than light travel.

Edit: spelling... like usual

[grabby]

I was dreaming about antimatter last night!

I figured out calculating that at 8 million dollars a foot we are burning 1 million 300 thousnad gallons per foot

I think this spaceship has the lowest miles per ggallon of any thing man ever could invent

burning antimatter, the EROI is so low, that it takes 1,333,333 gallons of gas per FOOT TRAVELED to equal cost.

at this rate you would burn our NATIONAL DEBT up traveling at 20% speed of light in 1/200 of a second and you would travel 190 miles.

in one second you would burn our national debt up 200 times.

I think ANTIMATTER has the lowest EROI of any fuel and it produces the most power.

I don't think captain Kirk is in our future.

Wow.

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grabby', '
')I think this spaceship has the lowest miles per ggallon of any thing man ever could invent

[DefiledEngine]

I wish I were a rocket man.

Click

Oh you, mr. Shatner.

Now all we need is the family guy version.

[Ingenuity_Gap]

Dear EnergyUnlimited,

Maybe you're just trying to be optimistic, but energy is not unlimited, regardless of your nickname. Basic physics will tell you that.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'F')inally large distances are of little relevance if proper speed can be achieved.

[Ingenuity_Gap]

This thread obviously goes nowhere, so I'll try to end it once and for all.

Unless Stephen Hawking knows something we don't know (which is very probable), he should stop smoking that grass. It's not healthy and it makes him say stupid things.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')tephen Hawking says humans must go into space

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ingenuity_Gap', '
')Unless Stephen Hawking knows something we don't know (which is very probable), he should stop smoking that grass. It's not healthy and it makes him say stupid things.

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'D')id you study ecology of extraterresterial planets?How can you be sure that "earthly" plants cannot grow on extraterresterial planet if composition of atmosphere (and rock) would be closely remaining ours?

[AtmaStorm]

Fusion and anti-matter.
The sheer energy involved in making/obtaining these fuels makes me
shake my head. It'll accelerate PO. And do you know how long it takes to make this stuff? Duetrium is stable, and we know how to store it. Anti-matter is entire different; that stuff will need some serious technological advancements in order to store it more or less safely.

And I don't care if Steven Hawking had an I.Q. Of 10000.
He's human, and is still susceptible to the same ignorance that plagues our Society.

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grabby', '
')but since the FUSION TORCH ENGINE is about 20 times less efficient than antimatter.
The same motor in a fusion rocket with ONE PERSON ON BOARD reaching 10% C
woudl take 760 million tons of hydrogen deuterium tritium.


Now, it is only
70,541,997,720,000 miles to alpha ceti
(12 light years away)

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', '
')You are missing two points:
(ignorant speculative bullshit deleted)

[MonteQuest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'Y')ou are missing two points:

1. If composition of atmosphere and rock as well as pressure, themperature etc in alien world are sufficiently similar to ours, than earthly crops (or at least some selected earthly plants) could also be grown there. You do not need to worry about native lifeforms if all necessary conditions to grow your own food are met.
Doing so you will no longer need any food supplies from Earth to keep party going, contrary to your initial argument.

2. You cannot assume that organisms in alien worlds MUST BE grossly different than life forms on Earth.

[Chicken_Little]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', '
')

There are many practical problems (say fusion process of hydrogen to hellium would have to be developed, very large magnetic fields generated and many, many more).
However there is no PHYSICAL barrier to prevent it working, neither unwieldly large quantities of nuclear propellants or antimatter stored on board are needed.

2. Alpha Centaurii is rather 4.2 than 12 light years away, but with the propulsion system described above it is of little relevance.
It is ternary (as I remember) system and it is most unlikely, that habitable planet is there. You must go further than that to find one.