Relocating to Alpha Centauri - problems & ethics
Any other engineers out there? OK here's the problem: how to populate other solar systems before our planetary or solar system resources are used up. It's what's called The Human *Race* and of course it is the main problem for any species on any planet, as it has to be done before the metals, fuels and plastics run out (which won't be that long for us - 100 years or less?). Wooden spacecraft have not proven successful so far.
1. Heinlein has stated that a space vehicle only needs to accelerate at 1G for less than a year to reach the speed of light. Therefore to reach another solar system a spacecraft only needs 2 year's fuel to get there - 1 year to accelerate at 1 G, 1 year to decelerate at 1G - at least for the interstellar travel component of the journey. More is needed for the exploratory phase at the other end. They're not coming back though, if that is the total fuel capacity.
2. If sufficient fuel could be carried for a drive to power a spacecraft for two years or slightly more (perhaps a nuclear motor of some kind?), such a craft would need one other vital technology: an energy shield of some kind, since space debris would destroy the craft fairly soon when struck at such high velocity.
3. A space vehicle of this type would be fairly large as it will need a large revolving cylindrical compartment for living in, to create a 1G environment for people to live within the rim of, for several years. Plus food creation facilities on a large scale of course. A large power plant as well, plus major engineering resources and materials.
4. Such a craft could not be launched from the earth's surface as it would likely be larger than a couple of aircraft carriers, but it could be built in orbit. Arthur C Clarke's posited geostationary satellite tube uplink system might be used. He stated that there are no insurmountable reasons that a geostationary satellite (which he invented and of which there are now dozens of course, your TV transmitter satellites) could not be linked to the ground by a transport tube or other solid vertical link - which could be used for uploading materials to a large orbital vehicle.
5. The nearest star that might have a planetary system is ?? light years away. Therefore the spacecraft crew would comprise families, whose children would reach the journey's end. However one point of view is that people who would agree to such a journey are basically insane. Is it right to populate distant star systems with the offspring of insane people?
6. Is it right to populate distant solar systems with humans, anyway?
7. What if the best real estate is occupied?
Any other engineers out there? OK here's the problem: how to populate other solar systems before our planetary or solar system resources are used up. It's what's called The Human *Race* and of course it is the main problem for any species on any planet, as it has to be done before the metals, fuels and plastics run out (which won't be that long for us - 100 years or less?). Wooden spacecraft have not proven successful so far.
1. Heinlein has stated that a space vehicle only needs to accelerate at 1G for less than a year to reach the speed of light. Therefore to reach another solar system a spacecraft only needs 2 year's fuel to get there - 1 year to accelerate at 1 G, 1 year to decelerate at 1G - at least for the interstellar travel component of the journey. More is needed for the exploratory phase at the other end. They're not coming back though, if that is the total fuel capacity.
2. If sufficient fuel could be carried for a drive to power a spacecraft for two years or slightly more (perhaps a nuclear motor of some kind?), such a craft would need one other vital technology: an energy shield of some kind, since space debris would destroy the craft fairly soon when struck at such high velocity.
3. A space vehicle of this type would be fairly large as it will need a large revolving cylindrical compartment for living in, to create a 1G environment for people to live within the rim of, for several years. Plus food creation facilities on a large scale of course. A large power plant as well, plus major engineering resources and materials.
4. Such a craft could not be launched from the earth's surface as it would likely be larger than a couple of aircraft carriers, but it could be built in orbit. Arthur C Clarke's posited geostationary satellite tube uplink system might be used. He stated that there are no insurmountable reasons that a geostationary satellite (which he invented and of which there are now dozens of course, your TV transmitter satellites) could not be linked to the ground by a transport tube or other solid vertical link - which could be used for uploading materials to a large orbital vehicle.
5. The nearest star that might have a planetary system is ?? light years away. Therefore the spacecraft crew would comprise families, whose children would reach the journey's end. However one point of view is that people who would agree to such a journey are basically insane. Is it right to populate distant star systems with the offspring of insane people?
6. Is it right to populate distant solar systems with humans, anyway?
7. What if the best real estate is occupied?
