Beam me to the stars: Scientists propose wild new interstellar travel tech | Space

Space Exploration, Tech

Beam me to the stars: Scientists propose wild new interstellar travel tech
By Victoria Corless published 2 days ago

“Chemical rockets that we use today, even with the extra speed boost from flying by planets, or from swinging by the sun for a boost, just don’t have the ability to scale to useful interstellar speeds.”

Here’s how it works.

Researchers have proposed a new propulsion method that could make covering the vast distances required for interstellar missions feasible within a human lifetime. The fundamental challenge in reaching a different star system lies in figuring out how to generate and transfer enough energy to a spacecraft both efficiently and affordably. The physical limitations of modern spacecraft pose significant challenges for reaching interstellar space in a human lifetime, especially with limited room onboard for carrying propellant or batteries. If we ever want to achieve the tremendous speeds necessary to cross interstellar distances in a human lifetime, we need to find outside-the-box solutions.

Source Link: Beam me to the stars: Scientists propose wild new interstellar travel tech | Space