Latest Breaking News

dorkulon

(5,116 posts)

47. Who said anything about humans?

Wed Oct 17, 2012, 02:38 PM

Oct 2012

It would be unnecessarily difficult and dangerous to send people. What we need to explore space is robots. Even sending people to Mars is a pointless waste of time, effort, and invites a completely avoidable tragedy.

Robots, son. Robots are the future.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

82 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Planet Found in Nearest Star System to Earth [View all] DRoseDARs Oct 2012 OP

We could send a probe there Shivering Jemmy Oct 2012 #1

Yes - and have Mitch McConnel... dchill Oct 2012 #3

Nice one! blackspade Oct 2012 #10

shhhhh! I'm in the library and lol-ing wordpix Oct 2012 #50

LOL Dakotacrat Oct 2012 #54

For a few decades, particularly within the last 20 years, there have been orgs seriously planning DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #6

I'm not even sanguine that humans will land on Mars by 2040 given all the technical problems. entanglement Oct 2012 #46

Who said anything about humans? dorkulon Oct 2012 #47

You're right, humans should never endanger themselves through exploration. PavePusher Oct 2012 #66

There are no particular "technical problems" stopping us. PavePusher Oct 2012 #67

Radiation is a significant issue. It is probably solvable, but it's going to take a while. entanglement Oct 2012 #78

Nope, simple brute-force solution: mass. PavePusher Oct 2012 #79

Based on the speed of the Pioneer spacecraft it would take over 7000 years to get there. former9thward Oct 2012 #59

Oh you're such a quiter ......... Monk06 Oct 2012 #62

The Pioneer spacecraft's a pretty ridiculous yardstick to use for that sort of thing. (nt) Posteritatis Oct 2012 #65

Why? Do you have something that is faster? former9thward Oct 2012 #73

Bussard Ramjet Shivering Jemmy Oct 2012 #70

do you think they are having debates there also /nt still_one Oct 2012 #2

If It Orbits Alpha Centauri B Every Three Days On the Road Oct 2012 #4

5th paragraph says 6mil km, which is a LOT closer in than Mercury is here, but where there's one... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #7

This is Intriguing Because It's Close Enough On the Road Oct 2012 #13

But what if the planet doesn't rotate around its axis? jayfish Oct 2012 #42

If the temperature gradient is that high, what would the winds be like? FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #52

Cool... IthinkThereforeIAM Oct 2012 #5

IthinkThereforeIAM Diclotican Oct 2012 #36

I thought that the jury was sill out on Proxima Centauri being part of the star system. R. Daneel Olivaw Oct 2012 #8

I know what you mean, there are a LOT of red dwarfs close by that are invisible to the naked eye. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #12

What are the odds? Pretty much zero. There are exotic proposals for colonizing Mercury... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #17

It's probably habitable to the sort of beings that have molten tungsten for blood. (nt) Posteritatis Oct 2012 #25

"The stars, now within reach." Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #9

..."at speeds approaching the speed of light." Cool your jets there, no we don't. DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #16

Nope. No Ion drive either. Boom boom boom! Proven since 1958 SWTORFanatic Oct 2012 #18

Well, no, we DO have ion drives that have already been used for 4 deep space missions so far... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #21

In the long run SWTORFanatic Oct 2012 #24

And what will the probe do when it gets there? FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #80

I am not an engineer, but I had an idea not sure if it will work SWTORFanatic Oct 2012 #81

No need to use it for boost-to-orbit. PavePusher Oct 2012 #68

Rail gun would be better. Norrin Radd Oct 2012 #23

The continuous thrust technology is key to high speeds at this point. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #19

Your ethusiasm for ion drives is wonderful, but sadly Einstein is having none of it... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #22

"fuel requirements and the mass of that fuel grows exponentially the faster you go" Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #26

Interstellar "space" isn't actually empty. Free gasses, dust will be slamming into the probe... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #27

Okay,...so you're talking deflector shield like Star Trek... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #28

The continuous thrust of an ion drive is fine when you have an external energy source muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #29

I'm sure I don't need to tell you about plutonium batteries.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #30

You seem to be confusing energy requirements several orders of magnitude different muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #31

That was in a response to the atomic drive we were also talking about. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #40

No, the fuel mass does grow exponentially, literally muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #75

You would have to use nuclear to power the probe anyway because you would be too far,... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #76

What we need to do christx30 Oct 2012 #41

Higgs! Science Geek Oct 2012 #43

That's scifi and I've heard of another one where you generate gravity in front of the space craft,.. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #44

I do. My father worked on it... EnviroBat Oct 2012 #48

True, but it is the first effort at continuous drive with low fuel which is the key to high speeds.. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #49

How do you harvest fuel outside the solar system? muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #51

That's easy, ever hear of the Oort Cloud? Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #53

What - 'rapidly speed up' with chemical rockets? muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #55

"What - 'rapidly speed up' with chemical rockets?" Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #56

Daedalus assumes a fusion rocket, not an ion drive muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #57

True but the tanks used could be used for the fuel of an ion drive so it wouldn't run out. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #60

Solar Sails may be a viable alternative... Science Geek Oct 2012 #61

I thought solar sails were interplanetary but not interstellar. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #63

Depends. Think laser boosting, Robert Forward. n/t PavePusher Oct 2012 #69

Ah! That's a thought.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #71

That's really cool. EnviroBat Oct 2012 #72

Keep in mind this drive is small and fairly new.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #74

I name it Kolob Angry Dragon Oct 2012 #11

It's lacking substance and dizzy enough. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #14

It's more like Tatooine. n/t Ian David Oct 2012 #33

K&R defacto7 Oct 2012 #15

"You are the children of a dead planet, earthdeirdre, and this death we do not comprehend. FVZA_Colonel Oct 2012 #20

Isn't that where the Robinson family was headed in "Lost In Space"? SemperEadem Oct 2012 #32

Yes, it was. n/t Ian David Oct 2012 #34

Just send an iPhone attached to a plutonium power supply and a backyard telescope. n/t Ian David Oct 2012 #35

With Apple Maps? eggplant Oct 2012 #39

Danger, Will Robinson!!! Odin2005 Oct 2012 #37

In space, no one can hear you fart. AngryAmish Oct 2012 #38

Find Astronomy Fascinating Liberalynn Oct 2012 #45

Great post! Great discussion! Mind-boggling discovery! Thank you! nt Peace Patriot Oct 2012 #58

I vote that we call it Rakhat AnnieBW Oct 2012 #64

FREE RIDES on the first rocket headed there for all Republicans!!! Up2Late Oct 2012 #77

We'll call it the 'B' ark. FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #82