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Re: RE: starship-design: scoops and sails and something to push against.




In a message dated 10/1/98 3:44:08 PM, lparker@cacaphony.net wrote:

>I'm afraid the best we can hope for in the time frame we are discussing is a
>
>first or second generation fusion engine or hybrid antimatter/fusion engine.
>
>In truth, we can design a ship around a drive that can get a small vessel up
>
>to 0.3 c. It won't be as fancy as Kelly's Explorer, but we should be able to
>
>put a crew of 5 to 10 people on Alpha Centauri after a 12 year flight. Kind
>
>of long, but doable. Tau Ceti of course would take longer, probably at least
>
>thirty years one way. We would have to put a crew of twenty year old
>
>astronauts aboard and expect them to get back when they were eighty!
>
>
>
>Lee

I agree on the fusion bit, but I'm pretty skeptical that you could make a 5-10
person ship workable (or survivable).  Also thats far to few people to do a
decent amount of exploration of a star system.  At best you'ld go, drop a
frag, and come home.

Kelly