starship-design: Tau Ceti, It and Planets

[kyle <stk@sunherald.infi.net>]

I am new to this project, so try to bear with me.

I read that you are planning the mission to be for the star tau ceti. I
would
like to express my feelings about this choich, and voice my findings
regarding
the star and its solar system. I think tau ceti is a wonderful
destination. It is
quite sunlike, and the first planet seems good. I have some info on the
star itself:

Spectral Type: G8V
Mass: .82 suns
Distance: 11.9 ly
Apparent Magnitude: +3.5
Main sequence lifetime: 16.43 Gyr
Age (current): 5.38 Gyr
Radius: .80 suns
Surface gravity: 341.7 m/sec^2
Escape Velocity: 621 km/sec
Luminosity: .41 suns
Absolute magnitude: 5.7
Surface temperature: 5144K
Peak wavelength(micron): .56
Outer Ecoshell radius: .64 au
Inner Ecoshell radius: .79 au

Tau Ceti I:
Mean orbital distance: .72 au
Eccentricity: .00 (why not?)
Axial tilt: not established
Year: 246.4 earth days
Star system escape velocity: 44.97 km/sec
Angular diameter of star: .60*
Rotation period: not established
Mass: .21 earths
Radius:3800 km
Density: 5464 kg/m^3
Albedo: .33 (why not?)
Inertia Factor: .34? (an educated guess)
Gravity: (typical) 5.80 m/sec^2
1/ellipticity: 294.1 (why not?)
Escape velocity: 6.64 km/sec
Shortest possible rotation: 2.64 hours
Geosynchronous orbit: 21274 km (something like that)
End of major plate tectonics: 1.68 Gyr (we don't have to worry about
alien Mt.St Helens!)
Maximum mountain height: 28067 m (probably lower than that)
Atmospheric composition: O2, N2, CO2, H2O vapor, percentages unknown
Atmospheric Pressure: What, you're asking me??
Temperature range of orbit: -32.4 to -37.2C
Surface temperature: (45*) about -7C or 19.4F (assuming good greenhouse
effect) Bring jackets!
Mid ocean tide height: .22 m (something like that)

Conclusion: Sounds good, a bit chilly but survivable. Oceans probable
from H2O signature in atmosphere, Life probable due to O2 and CO2
signatures. I would recommend that we find out the atmospheric
percentages ASAP. (after all, this is 2050, and in 1997 they've already
discovered over a dozen planets. I think we could do that) Pressure
could also be helpful. (Maybe we have an advanced platform studying
extrasolar planets, like NASA's GAEA concept, or the DARWIN concept.
Take jackets, as the weather report shows cold for another 10 billion
years. (a little humor). 

Well thats it. Respond when you have a chance.
				Kyle R. Mcallister