Warp Drive Possible in our lifetime?


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Warp Drive In Reach?


I finally get my Millenium Falcon.


That is pretty damn cool, if it works.


.

Not in our lifetime. But maybe in our grand children's childrens.

Also, if global warming causes civilization to collapse, then a lot
longer than that.

.

Liberty's Edge

That's still a massive amount of energy.

Plus it requires unobtanium in the form of exotic matter and lots of it. There's also a chicken and egg problem that you can't create a bubble without already having a bubble.

Then there's issues with trying to control the ship and that Hawking radiation would destroy whatever was inside the bubble.

Silver Crusade

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One step closer to being able to cruise around the galaxy, chasing some hot alien tail.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Chaos...


Kryzbyn wrote:
Chaos...

You rang?

The Exchange

Lets see at 10 X light speed it will take 2 months to get to the edge of the solar system.
To get to Gleise 581 well it will still be two years.


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Crimson Jester wrote:

Lets see at 10 X light speed it will take 2 months to get to the edge of the solar system.

To get to Gleise 581 well it will still be two years.

And spending 3 days driving to New York beats spending several months walking there. What's your point?

Instantaneous travel will always be impossible. But this would lessen or even eliminate the need for generational ships.


The radiation is a big issue. I can't help but imagine that solving it is going to take a lot of know-how, money and provide so many benefits to humankind (beyond unlocking interplanetary and interstellar travel). Particularly if the solution lies in a multi-pronged approach, using active and passive shielding, drugs and whatever else we can come up with.

The Exchange

ANebulousMistress wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:

Lets see at 10 X light speed it will take 2 months to get to the edge of the solar system.

To get to Gleise 581 well it will still be two years.

And spending 3 days driving to New York beats spending several months walking there. What's your point?

Instantaneous travel will always be impossible. But this would lessen or even eliminate the need for generational ships.

My point is that even though this would be a great enhancement to our ability to explore our system it would still be a long way off from extra solar travel with the possible exception of probes.

Probes would in fact be a good logical next step to find out what is there and if it is worth bothering with a multi-year trip that would require significant shielding and some way to produce your own food for the trip. I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.


Crimson Jester wrote:
ANebulousMistress wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:

Lets see at 10 X light speed it will take 2 months to get to the edge of the solar system.

To get to Gleise 581 well it will still be two years.

And spending 3 days driving to New York beats spending several months walking there. What's your point?

Instantaneous travel will always be impossible. But this would lessen or even eliminate the need for generational ships.

My point is that even though this would be a great enhancement to our ability to explore our system it would still be a long way off from extra solar travel with the possible exception of probes.

Probes would in fact be a good logical next step to find out what is there and if it is worth bothering with a multi-year trip that would require significant shielding and some way to produce your own food for the trip. I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.

I think you're forgetting all the aliens out there waiting for us to show them a warp signature before they make first contact.


Doesn't this depend a lot on how long you expect to live?


Doesn't this depend a lot on how long you expect to live?


Crimson Jester wrote:
I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.

Not sure which "bio-lab" project you're referring too. If you're referring to Biosphere 2, that project was poorly handled by some of the managers. Some of the scientists involved weren't very good scientists either. Regardless, the project did provide useful scientific data, even if it was marred by personnel issues during it's second closure.

Science learns a lot from failure.

The Exchange

Irontruth wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:
I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.

Not sure which "bio-lab" project you're referring too. If you're referring to Biosphere 2, that project was poorly handled by some of the managers. Some of the scientists involved weren't very good scientists either. Regardless, the project did provide useful scientific data, even if it was marred by personnel issues during it's second closure.

Science learns a lot from failure.

Yes Biosphere 2 was what I meant. Yes, many times our failures teach us more than our successes. However it was such a dismal failure that any future such projects have no funding. If we want a successful 2 year flight to another system that may support life such projects are mandatory.

I refuse to discuss whether I feel a scientist was a good scientist or not.

Silver Crusade

Celestial Healer wrote:
One step closer to being able to cruise around the galaxy, chasing some hot alien tail.

Honesty on motives, right here folks.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Irontruth wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:
I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.

Not sure which "bio-lab" project you're referring too. If you're referring to Biosphere 2, that project was poorly handled by some of the managers. Some of the scientists involved weren't very good scientists either. Regardless, the project did provide useful scientific data, even if it was marred by personnel issues during it's second closure.

Science learns a lot from failure.

As I recall most of the science we gained from Biosphere 2 was after the abandomnent of it's primary mission and the observation of how the environment evolved after the collapse.

Silver Crusade

Mikaze wrote:
Celestial Healer wrote:
One step closer to being able to cruise around the galaxy, chasing some hot alien tail.
Honesty on motives, right here folks.

I figured everybody knew that space exploration is all about finding new species to copulate with.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

If the nerds at NASA thought there were women in space, we'd already be there.

And I say nerds in total solidarity.


Crimson Jester wrote:
Irontruth wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:
I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.

Not sure which "bio-lab" project you're referring too. If you're referring to Biosphere 2, that project was poorly handled by some of the managers. Some of the scientists involved weren't very good scientists either. Regardless, the project did provide useful scientific data, even if it was marred by personnel issues during it's second closure.

Science learns a lot from failure.

Yes Biosphere 2 was what I meant. Yes, many times our failures teach us more than our successes. However it was such a dismal failure that any future such projects have no funding. If we want a successful 2 year flight to another system that may support life such projects are mandatory.

I refuse to discuss whether I feel a scientist was a good scientist or not.

You said your point was that they couldn't keep it working. You have to be willing to discuss the quality of personnel involved in such a project, because that directly influences the success/failure of an ambitious and closed project like this.

It's like saying the quality of the astronauts in the space program had no influence on the outcomes.

The Exchange

Irontruth wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:
Irontruth wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:
I mean heck they could not keep the Bio-lab project working. We found out more of what not to do than anything we could or should do.

Not sure which "bio-lab" project you're referring too. If you're referring to Biosphere 2, that project was poorly handled by some of the managers. Some of the scientists involved weren't very good scientists either. Regardless, the project did provide useful scientific data, even if it was marred by personnel issues during it's second closure.

Science learns a lot from failure.

Yes Biosphere 2 was what I meant. Yes, many times our failures teach us more than our successes. However it was such a dismal failure that any future such projects have no funding. If we want a successful 2 year flight to another system that may support life such projects are mandatory.

I refuse to discuss whether I feel a scientist was a good scientist or not.

You said your point was that they couldn't keep it working. You have to be willing to discuss the quality of personnel involved in such a project, because that directly influences the success/failure of an ambitious and closed project like this.

It's like saying the quality of the astronauts in the space program had no influence on the outcomes.

Fair enough, I just know too much of their relationships than I want to.

Liberty's Edge

I don't know, for decent sized chunks (not the majority of it by time, but perhaps by effort) the quality of the astronauts wasn't a signifigant factor.

Does the phrase "spam in a can" ring any bells?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Krensky wrote:

I don't know, for decent sized chunks (not the majority of it by time, but perhaps by effort) the quality of the astronauts wasn't a signifigant factor.

Does the phrase "spam in a can" ring any bells?

That pretty much only applied to Mercury which was a quick and dirty program to get an American to space and orbit....PERIOD.

Gemini however would be the program that would get much of the basic essentials needed for a real moon mission, in particular EVA, Docking and Rendevous. Those missions involved what you would call true spacecraft piloting.


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It's easy to point out all the remaining difficulties in making this work. And it's easy to point out that people can suck and that stuff like this can end up being shelved for a long time, and that special interests like to bury things.

But what me must not forget, is what this tiny breakthrough represents: We figure it out.

That's what we do. We solve problems.

It may not seem so, when every day we are bombarded by negativity and reminded of broken promises. We get to hear about our failings as a species almost constantly.

But in the end, we do move forward. We do figure it out. The tiniest step forward, toward warp drive, no matter how minute, is a cause for a big, stupid grin, if nothing else. Soak it up for a minute. Your day will be better for it.


Krensky wrote:

I don't know, for decent sized chunks (not the majority of it by time, but perhaps by effort) the quality of the astronauts wasn't a signifigant factor.

Does the phrase "spam in a can" ring any bells?

Tell that to Gordon Cooper.

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Warp Drive may be one thing....

But lifting to orbit is still a major PITA.


LazarX wrote:

Warp Drive may be one thing....

But lifting to orbit is still a major PITA.

We'll have to finish this first, then.


The kickstarter is closed, but they did raise $100,000 to help fund their next space elevator experiment.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Have they figured out what would happen if the cable snapped?


I don't work on the project. You should check them out if you want answers. I'm going to guess that they try to avoid that happening. Just like NASA tries to prevent spaceships from exploding.


LazarX wrote:

Warp Drive may be one thing....

But lifting to orbit is still a major PITA.

This is why we need a refinery in the asteroid belt!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Irontruth wrote:
I don't work on the project. You should check them out if you want answers. I'm going to guess that they try to avoid that happening. Just like NASA tries to prevent spaceships from exploding.

The worst case scenario has the cable literally wrapping itself around the Equator.


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LazarX wrote:
Irontruth wrote:
I don't work on the project. You should check them out if you want answers. I'm going to guess that they try to avoid that happening. Just like NASA tries to prevent spaceships from exploding.
The worst case scenario has the cable literally wrapping itself around the Equator.

...and if a bullwhip, which is six feet long, can break the sound barrier, a cable that reaches close orbit should be harmless, right? :P

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