space travel will never work

[JulesMaximus]

While it's true space is quite empty, I'm sure before sending it on it's way NASA did some calculations to make sure it wasn't going to cross the path of any known interlopers (for lack of a better term). I doubt they would just send it off in any random direction and hope for the best.

Considering that Voyager is about the size of a VW beetle and an asteroid 1/4 of that size would easily take it out and also considering that we couldn't see an asteroid that size if it was in orbit around our planet I seriously doubt that NASA did any calculations other than to avoid colliding with known planets before leaving our solar system.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I love how people say "X will never..." when what they really mean is "I can't see how X will ever..."

Whatever else happens, I promise that the failure of your imagination will not be the downfall of space travel.

 

[artvscommerce]

/forward slashes

 

[StinkyPinky]

Yeah, I dont think we will ever have the will and tech to do interstellar...but it's nice to dream

But around the local star system I think we will. IMO we could almost do it already if we have the need to do so.

 

[ViperXX]

I crashed my Kerbal into the Mun many times.

 

[DrPizza]

Yeah, I dont think we will ever have the will and tech to do interstellar...but it's nice to dream

But around the local star system I think we will. IMO we could almost do it already if we have the need to do so.

As long as "we" means a half dozen or so astronauts. If we're talking about moving a percentage of the population of Earth off the planet, as long as that percentage is an integer, it's too big of a number.

 

[rsbennett00]

I might have missed it but I didn't see anyone mention the biggest problem with manned space travel, energy.

Since energy cannot be created or destroyed, there's a lot of big problems to solve before even discussing leaving the earth.

a) Humans need energy, aka food and water, to live.
b) Humans produce waste.
c) Humans need climate control.

There's probably others I'm not thinking of offhand.

Is cryosleep the answer? Perhaps but since it's not invented yet, who knows what it will take to keep humans alive and what the repercussions are.

Growing edible plants is an obvious answer but can they be kept alive off human waste or can the waste be recycled enough? What happens when the craft is too far from a star for solar energy? Store energy in batteries? Maybe Elon knows.

 

[brianmanahan]

i am sure spaceman would like to have a word with you

 

[phucheneh]

I think people already hit the high points here. But I would like to add in what really blows my mind: How the ISS has never had a massive catastrophe.

Space is remarkably empty, but low earth orbit is full of crap. The ISS orbits at 17,000mph(ish), and little bits of debris could strike it at a closing speed in excess of 30,000mph. How has this not happened yet?

 

[jagec]

Something I've thought about is g-forces. If you're going 0.9 the speed of light (for interstellar travel) or even hundreds of thousands of miles an hour (for inter-planetary) you would have to turn so slowly and slow down so soon the journeys would still take forever.

If you aim at Proxima Centauri and accelerate at a constant 1g for half the distance, then turn around and decelerate at a constant 1g for the second half, you'll arrive in under 6 years (achieving a max speed of .98c) from the perspective of earth, and only 3.5 years from your own perspective.

Now, achieving a CONSTANT 1g acceleration for that length of time is far from trivial, but Project Orion's math suggests that we could get to within at least a couple orders of magnitude of that trip without needing a major breakthrough in technology.

 

[norseamd]

We launched Voyager 1 37 years ago and it hasn't hit anything yet.

Actually it has been hitting individual hydrogen atoms all the fucking time.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Actually it has been hitting individual hydrogen atoms all the fucking time.

Individual hydrogen atoms are the worst.

 

[brianmanahan]

Actually it has been hitting individual hydrogen atoms all the f***ing time.

so am i

OMG AND ALL THESE NEUTRINOS!

 

[John Connor]

It's like asking the question why submarines don't crash into whales.

 

[Imp]

/deflector shield

 

[Arkaign]

It's like asking the question why submarines don't crash into whales.

Dunno bout Submarines, but Whales do get hit by ships lol :

http://www.ussleytecv32.com/photo/Whale.html

Even streets! :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ebra-crossing-famous-Beatles-album-cover.html

 

[JTsyo]

Considering that Voyager is about the size of a VW beetle and an asteroid 1/4 of that size would easily take it out and also considering that we couldn't see an asteroid that size if it was in orbit around our planet I seriously doubt that NASA did any calculations other than to avoid colliding with known planets before leaving our solar system.

Actually they aimed towards some of the planets. Both for the gravity boosts and to explore the planets.

Actually it has been hitting individual hydrogen atoms all the fucking time.

Not H2 molecules?

 

[SP33Demon]

We launched Voyager 1 37 years ago and it hasn't hit anything yet. Space is remarkably empty. Worrying about crashing into some random asteroid is like being afraid of crossing your living room and crashing into a shark. There's a reason ridiculously long odds are called astronomical.

 

[IronWing]

Don't look too empty to me.

 

[Fayd]

It's like asking the question why submarines don't crash into whales.

they do. often.

 

[Ichinisan]

We launched Voyager 1 37 years ago and it hasn't hit anything yet. Space is remarkably empty. Worrying about crashing into some random asteroid is like being afraid of crossing your living room and crashing into a shark. There's a reason ridiculously long odds are called "astronomical."

If you're traveling FTL across astronomical distances, the chances of impact go up astronomically.

Well, if you're flying through dozens / hundreds / thousands of star systems... You're probably traveling directly toward at least one star system (the destination).

Anyway, we'd have to worry about the small stuff too. Even the microscopic stuff.

 

[Jeff7]

While it's true space is quite empty, I'm sure before sending it on it's way NASA did some calculations to make sure it wasn't going to cross the path of any known interlopers (for lack of a better term). I doubt they would just send it off in any random direction and hope for the best.

New Horizons is on a course out into the Kuiper Belt. We can only see the larger and brighter objects out that far.


Even the Asteroid Belt wouldn't be much of a problem.

Dawn is arriving at Ceres. It's one asteroid. It's roughly 30% of the mass of the entire Asteroid Belt. A majority of the mass of the belt is contained in about a dozen asteroids.
It's still mostly empty space.

 

[Sonikku]

This is basically irrelevant once our ships have shields anyway.

 

[brainhulk]

Ha, i was right. But space dust, not asteroids

http://www.popsci.com/space-dust-could-destroy-our-best-shot-at-getting-to-proxima-centauri

 

[Miramonti]

We're already traveling through space, what's a few more light years.