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Re: Re: starship-design: The Way ahead & Bugs




In a message dated 10/18/98 10:12:28 AM, rmarlin@network-one.com wrote:

>> > IF WE DO MAKE THE SHIP RETURN CAPABLE,
>> > I DON'T THINK WE'D SEE IT AGAIN!!!
>> >
>
>I also agree. Interstellar travel is very taxing on resources, and I don't
think
>it is reasonable to send a two-way expedition. There is acceleration and
>deceleration, and then another acceleration and deceleration. If you are
sending
>people to another star, why just scout and then return them at over twice the
>cost and complexity, when you can just send colonists on a one-way mission?

You miss the point.  We can't send colonists.  To do that we would need a
selfsustaining mini civilization which is WAY beyond anything we could or
would do.  It would technically be virtually impossible, at least requireing a
population tens to hundreds of times larger.

The debate isn't between sending a scouting mission or sending a colony.  The
debate is between sending a say 8 year survey mission and returning them.  Or
sending a 8 year survey mission and leaving them there to die.

Kelly