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#1 |
6809 > 6502
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Aug 2003
101ร103 Posts
10,891 Posts |
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If you don't know what the title is referring to please read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri_Bb So, I lay before you a challenge... Given that this is the closest exo-planet. And humans have a tendency to do things, "Because it is there." Please describe for us your plans for a mission (manned or unmanned) to visit said system. Constraints are as follows:
Please describe your launch system, the space ship that you are sending, the instruments, the flight plan, and anything else of interest to your plan (how long would it take, would you include a TAU type mission as well?, wtc.) |
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#2 |
Bemusing Prompter
"Danny"
Dec 2002
California
5·499 Posts |
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I remember my 7th grade science teacher giving us a very similar challenge.
In any case, I think I'd be more concerned about the 1,200 ยฐC surface temperature than the cost. |
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#3 | |
Bamboozled!
"๐บ๐๐ท๐ท๐ญ"
May 2003
Down not across
2·5,827 Posts |
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First unspecified constraint: what is the required mission time? If you want arrival within a decade the technology is very different from what's required for a century mission or a millennium mission. I realise this is part of your challenge but it would be interesting to discover what might be thought reasonable. Personally, I'd take the view of the Daedalus project team and require data to be returned within a century and preferably a few decades. That itself suggests that the craft needs to be capable of travelling at least 0.1c. The Daedalus mission profile certainly can't be implemented for $10G. Provide $10T and you may be in with a chance. |
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#4 |
Bamboozled!
"๐บ๐๐ท๐ท๐ญ"
May 2003
Down not across
2·5,827 Posts |
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Useful background reading: http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/icarusppd.pdf
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#5 | ||
6809 > 6502
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Aug 2003
101ร103 Posts
1089110 Posts |
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The funding level was an intentional choice to make it very doable with a reasonable level of will by some entity.
Quote:
Quote:
Daedalus is not feasible in that time frame. 15 years of will for the time to TACI is a sustainable level of support. 30 years until TACI is not. |
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#6 | |
"Forget I exist"
Jul 2009
Dartmouth NS
20E216 Posts |
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#7 | |
Bamboozled!
"๐บ๐๐ท๐ท๐ญ"
May 2003
Down not across
2×5,827 Posts |
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People have been thinking very hard about missions like this for decades. Getting anything material to ฮฑ Cen within a century is hard. Getting something capable of phoning home on arrival is much harder. Incidentally, I followed the Daedalus project when it was active and have a copy of the final report. It turns out that Alan Bond will be speaking to the local astronomical society next month so perhaps I'll ask him to sign my copy. |
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#8 | |
If I May
"Chris Halsall"
Sep 2002
Barbados
2×72×113 Posts |
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On the other hand, we have yet to live live beyond LEO for more than a few days. And it's cost us billions of dollars to run the experiments. Perhaps we should try putting some money into living on our moon for a while. And/or, perhaps, Mars... There might be some resources there to extract.... |
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#9 | |
"Forget I exist"
Jul 2009
Dartmouth NS
100000111000102 Posts |
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will the nearest star system not have minerals in that planet ? if it does that could be a resource and therefore it's worth going just to extract the resources by your own logic. |
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#10 |
Basketry That Evening!
"Bunslow the Bold"
Jun 2011
40<A<43 -89<O<-88
11100001101012 Posts |
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It's not that hard to build an artificial life sustaining habitat on the moon or Mars. I'd be a lot hard (read: more money and more weight) to do that in 1500K weather.
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#11 |
If I May
"Chris Halsall"
Sep 2002
Barbados
2B4216 Posts |
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