IPCS Interstellar voyage #1

[silverslith]

Theres just no doubt that its gotta be Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri

[Moontanman]

[QUOTE=silverslith;169428]Theres just no doubt that its gotta be Alpha Centauri


The Centauri system works for me, If I am reading the diagram correctly it looks like there is a possibility of four life bearing planets in this system. Two around each of the main stars but if you postulate a gas giant around the smaller Centauri C then you could have moons around this gas giant in stable life bearing orbits. If we ever get the chance to view this system optically it could be the most interesting system as well as being the closest. Maybe a space ship designed as a rotating torus with centrifugal force imitating gravity on the inside surface and using a magnetic plasma sail as propulsion? It would probably have to be a multi generational type ship but I would sign on for sure!

[silverslith]

[QUOTE=Moontanman;172040]

Originally Posted by silverslith

Theres just no doubt that its gotta be Alpha Centauri


The Centauri system works for me, If I am reading the diagram correctly it looks like there is a possibility of four life bearing planets in this system. Two around each of the main stars but if you postulate a gas giant around the smaller Centauri C then you could have moons around this gas giant in stable life bearing orbits. If we ever get the chance to view this system optically it could be the most interesting system as well as being the closest. Maybe a space ship designed as a rotating torus with centrifugal force imitating gravity on the inside surface and using a magnetic plasma sail as propulsion? It would probably have to be a multi generational type ship but I would sign on for sure!

If I was convinced a generation ship was the only way possible I'd consider signing up too. I'd hate to get there on deaths door to find it fully settled by sod's that left a few years later on a near c ship that got them there in a couple years or less of ship time.
I'm hopeful that we can come up with something smaller cheaper and fast and accelerate at 1-2g for a few months up to near lightspeed and then decelerate the rest of the trip. That way we don't need any spinning for comfort and won't have to wait so long. Hopefully on our return to earth the homo machaveillian strain will have been exterminated.
Damn nice coincidence that of the 50 stars closest to earth, the sun, Alpha Centauri A, B are the only 3 that seem at all suitable for human life. Proxima is a flare star and I hold little hope for it though it may have been better in its youth and if aliens there have shucked off their biology it may be no problem for them.
BTW Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern cross.

[Moontanman]

[QUOTE=silverslith;172153]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

If I was convinced a generation ship was the only way possible I'd consider signing up too. I'd hate to get there on deaths door to find it fully settled by sod's that left a few years later on a near c ship that got them there in a couple years or less of ship time.
I'm hopeful that we can come up with something smaller cheaper and fast and accelerate at 1-2g for a few months up to near lightspeed and then decelerate the rest of the trip. That way we don't need any spinning for comfort and won't have to wait so long. Hopefully on our return to earth the homo machaveillian strain will have been exterminated.
Damn nice coincidence that of the 50 stars closest to earth, the sun, Alpha Centauri A, B are the only 3 that seem at all suitable for human life. Proxima is a flare star and I hold little hope for it though it may have been better in its youth and if aliens there have shucked off their biology it may be no problem for them.
BTW Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern cross.

Although a magnetic sail is within the realm of real physics and could at least in theory be used to propel really enormous space craft there has been an interesting blip on the radar screen of FTL possibilities in the name of Heim-Dröscher space. I keep looking for more information but it seems to have either died or been sequestered by the US Air Force depending on who's wild theories you take most seriously. Has anyone read any new information about this new theory of space/time? It is rather nice that the closest stars are also among the most interesting. I have been looking continously for any information about anyone looking at the Centauri system with any of the latest tecnology. I haven't seen any extra effort to look at these stars any more than any of the rest. As a matter of fact until recently it was assumed that planets couldn't form in a multiple star system.

Michael

[silverslith]

[QUOTE=Moontanman;172157]

Originally Posted by silverslith

Although a magnetic sail is within the realm of real physics and could at least in theory be used to propel really enormous space craft there has been an interesting blip on the radar screen of FTL possibilities in the name of Heim-Dröscher space. I keep looking for more information but it seems to have either died or been sequestered by the US Air Force depending on who's wild theories you take most seriously. Has anyone read any new information about this new theory of space/time? It is rather nice that the closest stars are also among the most interesting. I have been looking continously for any information about anyone looking at the Centauri system with any of the latest tecnology. I haven't seen any extra effort to look at these stars any more than any of the rest. As a matter of fact until recently it was assumed that planets couldn't form in a multiple star system.

Michael

Great that we now know that planets do form fine in binaries. The unanswered question is do secondary stars direct cometary material and hence water into the inner solar systems as gas giants have in our system. I'm guessing hopefully they do.
The IPCS has magsail effects but I'm not yet sure whether they will be large enough for decent thrust. Although if we employ a negative plasma cloud to focus the solar wind it looks a lot more promising. The energy generated by entering a solar system against the wind at high velocity is however very large and could power serious reaction thrusters. A. Centauri has especial potential there particularly if we time it when its stars are at max distance and lined up. Perhaps with some deceleration near Proxima as well. We can use the galactic Magfield to alter course so lining up the cosmic snooker balls should not be hard.

[silverslith]

Luvit if you can come up with some links on the FTL

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by silverslith

Luvit if you can come up with some links on the FTL

I can't post links yet but google "Heim-Dröscher space". There really isn't much on it but the original author wrote in the late 1940's in Germany. Rather odd story goes along with it but I have no idea how reallistic the theory is.
The really great thing about the magnetic sail is that it gets more effective and bigger the further away from the star you get. In theory you could have a sail as big as a planet since it would just be a magnetic feild with some ions confined in the feild.

Michael

[TheFaithfulStone]

Originally Posted by moontanman

FTL possibilities in the name of Heim-Dröscher space

Look up the Heim Theory thread on this site. It's back in the day, and it ends with a shootdown.

Sorry. Too good to be true, probably is.

TFS