tkdguy Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Interesting design http://sploid.gizmodo.com/holy-crap-nasas-interplanetary-spaceship-concept-is-fr-1589001939 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted June 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 I still think interstellar travel is a long way off for us, but here's a paper done by a NASA scientist. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20130011213.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 13, 2014 Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 That Star Trek image felt appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted June 13, 2014 Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 Breakthroughs happen unexpectedly, and sometimes radically chance our perspective and world. I don't expect one anytime soon. It may be the theory is incorrect. But if not, who knows when or where it will take place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 13, 2014 Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 Very cool concept art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted June 14, 2014 Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 What I find really interesting is how close Matt Jefferies who designed Star Trek's NCC1701 got to how Warp Engine based starships would look.His original design has a pair of circular engines with a spindly core for the crew in the middlehttp://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/UESP_Enterprise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted June 14, 2014 Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 Nice knowing we're finally putting that Alien Technology we got at Roswell to good use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 15, 2014 Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Nice knowing we're finally putting that Alien Technology we got at Roswell to good use. Hush! Do you want our Evil Alien Overlords to know of our plans to ursurp their place in the Cosmos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted June 15, 2014 Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Breakthroughs happen unexpectedly, and sometimes radically chance our perspective and world. I don't expect one anytime soon. It may be the theory is incorrect. But if not, who knows when or where it will take place. Even if the theory is sound, we would still have a problem with the energy source. While the "Donut-Football" Shaped Alcubierre drive does reduce the energy costs quite a bit, we are still talking about total conversion of masses the size of the Voyager Probe. Stellar Fusion only converts a measily 4% of the fuel mass into enegry. (or was it only 0.4%?). As comparision, 1 KG of mass at total conversion would be an amount of energy equivalent to 1800 Hiroshima Bombs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted June 15, 2014 Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Even if the theory is sound, we would still have a problem with the energy source. While the "Donut-Football" Shaped Alcubierre drive does reduce the energy costs quite a bit, we are still talking about total conversion of masses the size of the Voyager Probe. Stellar Fusion only converts a measily 4% of the fuel mass into enegry. (or was it only 0.4%?). As comparision, 1 KG of mass at total conversion would be an amount of energy equivalent to 1800 Hiroshima Bombs. I'm aware of the energy problem. What I said about the warp theory also applies to the energy problem. Both remain big "ifs," and I don't expect break-throughs anytime soon -- or at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Even if the theory is sound, we would still have a problem with the energy source. While the "Donut-Football" Shaped Alcubierre drive does reduce the energy costs quite a bit, we are still talking about total conversion of masses the size of the Voyager Probe. Stellar Fusion only converts a measily 4% of the fuel mass into enegry. (or was it only 0.4%?). As comparision, 1 KG of mass at total conversion would be an amount of energy equivalent to 1800 Hiroshima Bombs. This is all putting the cart before the horse. What's more important than this rendering of a possible starship is that NASA is actually starting experiments to see if it's even possible to warp space. They are doing it on the microscopic level so they can do it with much lower amounts of power. Also these are the kinds of experiments that lead to breakthroughs and either confirm something is impossible or help to refine a technology. We aren't going to be building warp capable ships anytime soon. We have plenty of time to work out how to power the thing on a large scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 What we ought to get is a big-ass solar array making anti-matter in Mercury orbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 That close to Mercury and I'd wonder at the ability of the photovoltaics to generate power. They don't work well when they are hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 No no -- reflecting parabolas and Sterling engines. On a grand scale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 The space-warp thing is a hypothesis at this point. Looong way to go to become a viable theory. And then you have to work out the mechanics of building something to actually warp space, and the energy requirements for doing so. Now, the good news is that quantum entanglement may ultimately lead to a viable form of FTL communication, which means we might be able to keep in touch with an FTL spacecraft on a contemporaneous basis. Then we just need to build a 10000km long McKendree Cylinder to evac the system in a hurry if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Easy-peasy! The Ikea version should do for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuSoardGraphite Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Good call on quantum entanglement as a possible means of FTL comms. i also postulate it may be good for long range navigation as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Good call on quantum entanglement as a possible means of FTL comms. i also postulate it may be good for long range navigation as well. You know, when I postulated this about a year ago, I had multiple people jump my a$$ that "it wasn't how QE works." EDIT: On these very boards. Color my mildly annoyed. Though I'm glad I'm not the ONLY person who thinks QE can equal Ansible Network. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuSoardGraphite Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 You know, when I postulated this about a year ago, I had multiple people jump my a$$ that "it wasn't how QE works." EDIT: On these very boards. Color my mildly annoyed. Though I'm glad I'm not the ONLY person who thinks QE can equal Ansible Network. I guarantee you it wasnt me that jumped on you as i am the master of baseless speculation and psuedo scientific conjecture. And anyone who jumped on you and stating "thats not how QE works" is full of [EXPLETIVE DELETED] because even scientists are mystified by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I guarantee you it wasnt me that jumped on you as i am the master of baseless speculation and psuedo scientific conjecture. And anyone who jumped on you and stating "thats not how QE works" is full of [EXPLETIVE DELETED] because even scientists are mystified by it. It definitely wasn't you. In fact, I don't even remember who it was. It was so long ago that precisely zero fracks are given over who it was. In fact, I'm finding increasingly hilarious that I'm not the only one who thought of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 ... because even scientists are mystified by it. Something I like to throw in the face of people who understand Quantum Physics even less than I do: "It's black magic. You are probably happier not understanding what the frack I just said." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I remember that conversation. I wonder if it was over in the More Space News! thread ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Meh. Probably. But it Doesn't-Matter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 That's the right smiley! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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