How Close Are We To Star Trek Propulsion?

[longknife]

Maybe it's not as fictional as we thought. I'm no scientist but it does seem that a lot of things we take for granted today were once scifi.


Read more @ How Close Are We to Star Trek Propulsion - The Crux DiscoverMagazine.com

 

[Delta4Embassy]

They've been working on 'warp drive' for quite a while now. Still in the 'proof-of-concept' phase in labs last I heard though. And the energy requirements seem to suggest it'll never be practical. Possible, but not practical.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Ultimately, warping space or wormhole travel might turn out to be the only way of travelling through the universe. The go-fast method maxxes out at light speed which on the scale of just our own galaxy is too slow. Plus it opens up problems with kinetic energy impacts when a speck of dust has the impact energy of a nuclear bomb. Warp drive moves space itself relative to the spacecraft so doesn't matter if anything hits you because you're not actually moving (assuming it isn't moving at free fall velocity.)

The energy requirements though have it out of reach for the forseeable future. Even anitmatter wouldn't get it done and we'd need to harness dark energy, and we haven't even confirmed it exists yet. Might have to accept interstellar travel is technologically impossible. I hope not, but that's how it's shaping up right now.

 

[Zander]

Folding space ala DUNE- Seems much more realistic than warp speeds....IMHO

 

[martybegan]

The concept of the drives from Event Horizon or the 2003 Battlestar Galactica also seem more plausible then the Star Trek or Star Wars versions of an FTL drive.

 

[alang1216]

I hope I'm wrong but I don't think we'll ever travel faster than light for two reasons. First, nothing we observe in the universe seems capable of it. Secondly, if it were possible and practical we'd likely see evidence we've been visited and I don't believe we have.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Can't travel faster than light. Can't even travel AT light-speed for that matter. Mass of the vehicle is infinite at c and thus the energy requirement also infinite. Plus, 'go fast' methods are totally inadequate for interstellar travel being vastly too slow on the scale of light-years between stars. Plus, travelling at relativistic velocities would mess you up with relative time dilation effects.

If we can't find a warp drive method, wormhole generator, or something along those lines we're compeltely screwed. Best we can hope for then is colonizing our own solar system, but other star systems being forever out of reach.

 

[martybegan]

I hope I'm wrong but I don't think we'll ever travel faster than light for two reasons. First, nothing we observe in the universe seems capable of it. Secondly, if it were possible and practical we'd likely see evidence we've been visited and I don't believe we have.

The expansion of the universe is something un-related to the speed of objects within said universe. Its that mechanism to offers the only real hope of super-luminary travel.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

I hope I'm wrong but I don't think we'll ever travel faster than light for two reasons. First, nothing we observe in the universe seems capable of it. Secondly, if it were possible and practical we'd likely see evidence we've been visited and I don't believe we have.

The expansion of the universe is something un-related to the speed of objects within said universe. Its that mechanism to offers the only real hope of super-luminary travel.

Making a new thread for expansion of the universe info.

 

[n0spam4me]

I have an idea, how about by way of Astral projection, humankind visits any planet at all at will.
no need for rockets & mass quantities of hardware ...... simple, no?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

I have an idea, how about by way of Astral projection, humankind visits any planet at all at will.
no need for rockets & mass quantities of hardware ...... simple, no?

Sounds good, bring back samples from your trips please.