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starship-design: Re: What is safest?



Kelly,

>> There is however a big advantage of staying in the target system, rather
>> than "floating" through space another 10 year. In the target system you 
>> have all the resources you want (including energy), but in space you've 
>> nothing. Also in the target system you won't need your most critical 
>> (and likely most deteriorating) part of the ship: The engines.
>> Kelly continously tells us, that to stay at the target system we need to be
>> selfsufficient. But don't we need to be selfsufficient if we stay from home
>> 20 years (which is the minimum time for a two-way mission)?
>
>No, thats the whole point.  If we can keep the total mission length less than
>the time the that ships systems will start needing major repair, and within
>the amounts of stored food we can carry.  We dramatically cut down on the
>servicing requirements, and hence needed crew size, repair suplies, and ship
>size.

Before making the discussion unnecessary long: What kind of repairs do you
consider to be mayor and to be necessary in 60 years but not within 30?

Timothy