Life Beyond Earth --New Possible Habitable Planets!

[Paratus]

So I had a chance to talk to my friend who's working with the NASA warp drive group. Besides the fundamental research they are attempting on warp field interferometry they are also working on a quantum vacuum plasma thruster:


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_vacuum_plasma_thruster

A quantum vacuum plasma thruster (or Q-thruster) is a theoretical deep-space thruster that would not require any propellants. Thus a spacecraft utilizing such thrusters would not need to carry any propellants on board for their operation. A research group at the NASA Johnson Space Center is investigating this possibility.[1]

Essentially it's a thruster similar to other magnetohydrodynamic plasma thrusters like VASMIR but uses the quantum virtual particles as the working fluid instead of carried propellant. This means exceptionally high ISP, constant low acceleration and a much smaller vehicle.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

So I had a chance to talk to my friend who's working with the NASA warp drive group. Besides the fundamental research they are attempting on warp field interferometry they are also working on a quantum vacuum plasma thruster:


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_vacuum_plasma_thruster



Essentially it's a thruster similar to other magnetohydrodynamic plasma thrusters like VASMIR but uses the quantum virtual particles as the working fluid instead of carried propellant. This means exceptionally high ISP, constant low acceleration and a much smaller vehicle.

Now that's cool.

 

[Paratus]

Now that's cool.

It'll be a game changer for solar system exploration if it works.
There's other independent research groups working on it as well, from what I understand. So its not quite as on the bleeding edge as the warp field work.

Of course if both experiments work out they'll have basically created Impulse power and Warp Drive. :hmm: :awe:

 

[Retro Rob]

A few updates I thought would be interesting:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec13/planets_11-05.html

Has me wondering when someone will contact us, now.

All these possibilities. No, I for one don't necessarily believe there is intelligent life outside of our solar system, though not totally closed to the idea, I'd like to see when "they" make first contact with us.

 

[Retro Rob]

My bad.

 

[piasabird]

At this point we cant figure out a way to get to Mars without severe radiation poisoning. Knowing where some planets are isnt worth much right now. It takes years for a satelite to get to saturn and jupiter. I just want to be realistic. Unless we come up with warp speed and some kind of shielding to block radiation we will not get far.

 

[Agent11]

At this point we cant figure out a way to get to Mars without severe radiation poisoning. Knowing where some planets are isnt worth much right now. It takes years for a satelite to get to saturn and jupiter. I just want to be realistic. Unless we come up with warp speed and some kind of shielding to block radiation we will not get far.

That isn't entirely accurate. We know how radiation works, and we know how to block it. We have the technology to build a large craft capable of safely journeying to mars and back comfortably, we just do not because we are not motivated to do so.

The largest single problem is attempting to source all materials and construct on earth. This greatly limits the size and weight of any object we send into space. If we address this problem first the others diminish greatly. . . If not disappear all together.

For instance zero gravity's effects on the human body. We have known for decades that centrifugal force could be used to simulate gravity on a space station or space craft. The only reason we do not? Size and weight.

Radiation shielding sucks? Size and weight.

Propulsion? Size and weight.

We do not have a technology problem, we have a problem with ambition and foresight.

As far as interstellar travel though, we will need to have significant advances (and or some unobtanium) before it is possible within a natural lifetime, true.

 

[sm625]

It would take 6 weeks to get to Kepler-62 at Warp 4. And all we know about the surface of these planets is based almost entirely on pure assumption. It's not like we have any actual data. What is the mean surface temperature? How much of the surface is covered in water? We are not even close to being able to answer questions like that about any so called possibly habitable planet outside our solar system.