Getting There
“A journey of a hundred light-years begins with a single step.”
~ Confucius (extend 12 orders of magnitude)
MOTIVES & PERCEPTIONS
There is no single "best" starship concept. Although many researchers have their favorite, the "best" depends on one's perception and motives. Often these priorities go unmentioned as if assuming they are shared by all.
To improve future decisions, the span of motives and perceptions is explicitly explored, and includes:
- Implicit Motivations
- Perceptions of Practicality
- Interstellar Procrastinations
- Ancillary Developments
STARSHIP IDEAS... SO FAR
- Inspirational Fiction
- Engineered Interstellar Spacecraft
- Propulsion Ideas
Aside from the real Voyager spacecraft, all the ideas so far are either inspirational fiction or estimates of technological possibilities.
STARSHIP REQUIREMENTS
You Might Not Know:
- Lightspeed is slow compared to interstellar distances.
- Equipment longevity (aka "warranty period") is a major limiting factor (decades to centuries at best, so far).
- The first viable technologies are likely to be ready before humanity has enough energy to power that technology.
- Societal priorities have a greater effect on progress than does science or technology.
- Ancillary developments, such as the eclipsing of human intelligence by artificial intelligence, are likely to occur sooner than the first interstellar missions.
Parts of an Interstellar Spacecraft and Mission
- Planning, Design, Funding, and Implementation
- Mission Operations on Earth (Equipment and services)
- Mission-Specific Equipment/Payload
- Sensors & Effectors
- Crew & Life Support
- Cargo
- Power and Propulsion (interrelated)
- Power Management & Distribution
- Thermal Management (includes heat rejection)
- Attitude Control & Maneuvering with Secondary Propulsion
- Communication
- Navigation, Guidance, and Control
- Structure & Architecture
- Protection from Space Hazards
Content Contributors
- Marc Millis
- Paul Gilster
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