Re: Interstellar Propulsion idea using an Asteroid and a few comets!
From: AA Institute (abdul.ahad_at_ntlworld.com)
Date: 09/15/04
- Next message: Ilya Chernyh: "Re: Russia Getting Set To Pull An Uncle Al?"
- Previous message: Matthew Ota: "[Fwd: Maverick Scientist and Instrument Builder James Westphal Dies]"
- Maybe in reply to: AA Institute: "Re: Interstellar Propulsion idea using an Asteroid and a few comets!"
- Next in thread: Matthew Montchalin: "Re: Interstellar Propulsion idea using an Asteroid and a few comets!"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Date: 15 Sep 2004 02:04:39 -0700
abdul.ahad@ntlworld.com (AA Institute) wrote in message news:<adbf5bc1.0408210933.38fe0130@posting.google.com>...
> Ian Stirling <root@mauve.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<411e4269$0$7250$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net>...
> > In sci.space.policy Alfred A. Aburto Jr. <aburto@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > <snip>
> > > Yes, there is reason. The Oort Cloud of comets go well beyond the
> > > heliopause.
> > > The Oort Cloud of comets may extend out to 100,000 AU --- maybe 3 light
> > > years from the Sun. This is a good fraction of the way to the nearest star.
> >
> > How are you going to find dark bodies at such great distances?
>
> That's a very interesting point. The theoretical Oort cloud is thought
> to exist at some 30,000 to 50,000 AUs out from the Sun. This is way
> way beyond the 11,500 AUs (the "Ahad radius"!) determined as a
> limiting distance for *solar* illumination of objects.
> Technically, as I've determined in my recent paper, any obect existing
> at the distance of the Oort cloud would only be illuminated by "star
> light", with a miniscule flux of approx. 14 milli-Watt / m^2 of flux
> coming from the interstellar night sky.
>
> This is one of the reasons why I feel we might never be able to
> visually detect debris floating around in the Oort cloud using solar
> system based telescopes, unless the optical sensitivity of current
> detectors improves beyond all proportions.
>
> However, since we are talking futuristic technology here, a generation
> starship could be kitted up with powerful, wide beam lasers mounted on
> its exterior body, which could be used to temporarily act as long
> range "flash lights" that selectively light up the AsterCom starship's
> forward path and illuminate any oncoming target comets / ice balls.
> Since these objects are likely to be "icy" in their compositions at
> that distance, away from any star (with high albedos) they would show
> up for thousands of miles up a ahead in the torch beam, lighting up
> the ship's path like an airport runway lit at night for an aircraft
> coming into land.
>
I just thought of one other "early warning" system:-
"A further option would be to launch a series of remote sensing,
robotic "observation platforms" which operate at say, t+10 days, t+50
days, t+200 days,... ahead of the Aster-Com's current position (where
't' is the current ship time). They would serve as effective early
warning alert systems for upcoming cometary bodies (or lack of them).
The information relayed by these robotic platforms could be used to
weigh up potential risks to projected resource requirements."
And:
"When we are drifting in the dark waters of this endless interstellar
ocean where the shores reach out to near eternity in every direction
we care to look, navigation will be yet another big challenge. With no
magnetic fields, no bright planets, no "GPS" for relative referencing,
triangulation by the minute positional shifts of nearby stars in the
surrounding cosmic night sky may be the only means of interstellar
navigation on this grandest of all voyages.
In the extreme event where resources prove sparse in availability in
the forward direction of the ship, it may be necessary to 'back track'
to previously encountered bodies on emergency reserves. Radio
transmitters planted on comets following the mining operation, can be
used to track their positions relative to the ship in such an
eventuality. The ability to go as fast or as slow as you like and
turning back when you cannot see islands up ahead for meeting
projected resource requirements, are some of the fundamental "safety"
attractions with a voyage of this kind."
So there you have it! The World's *FIRST* blueprint for safe and
secure interstellar travel!!!
Abdul Ahad
- Next message: Ilya Chernyh: "Re: Russia Getting Set To Pull An Uncle Al?"
- Previous message: Matthew Ota: "[Fwd: Maverick Scientist and Instrument Builder James Westphal Dies]"
- Maybe in reply to: AA Institute: "Re: Interstellar Propulsion idea using an Asteroid and a few comets!"
- Next in thread: Matthew Montchalin: "Re: Interstellar Propulsion idea using an Asteroid and a few comets!"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Relevant Pages
|
