One way trip

How may would take a trip to Alpha Centauri? This would be a one way trip as it would take between 60 - 70 years to get there with the ideas scientist have thought to get us there.

This one day could go ahead with a bit more technology advancements.

I would like to hear from anyone who may come up with an idea or idea's that may help this cause in the future so we can venture further then we have bofore.www.foxnews.com.../sc itech/space

One way trip? With little or no data concerning habitable exo-planets? Would definatly not be me

If you show me evidence of life exists in Alpha Centauri, their invitation card for Humans and a space ship with all life support and everything a human being needs to avoid boredom, then i don't mind saying BYE BYE EARTH, HELLO ALPHA CENTAURI

It would take 60-70 years? Come on! I'm sure they could get that down to 10 with some more research, though I still probably wouldn't want to go. Maybe they could send some type of androids? I think we'll have VERY intelligent AIs by the time such a mission begins.

Magnetism is the answer i believe....

60-70 years?


i really think this could be done much quicker.....

1. constantly create a strong negative field in front of said craft

2. constantly creat a positive magnetic field around said craft


Negative constantly attracts positive

use nuclear power to power both magnetic areas

accelerate constantly to said destination!

for extra speed Ion propulsion

once destination is reached

shut of magnetic field in front of said craft. maintaining magnetic field around craft for protection.

idea plausible yes... i e-mailed esa when i was younger about doing something like this....

do i know how....

nope.... however i know we know how to create magnetc fields and that we have nuclear power!

also have ion propulsion

possibly get the trip down to about 20 years maybe less

problem arises when you want to get a craft big enough off the ground and cost!

you would be talking about a ship the size of an island for all science equipment nuclear power and what not!

you couldn't build it in space because we humans like to work in gravity....

also a ship this size would be capable of creating gravity....

any way i know you will debunk or argue over finer detail but hey this is science...anything is possible

oh sure you might leave today and in 30 years you'll be passed by the newer model space ship that gets there in 2 years. just send a robot with messages. im sure in 70 years if we stay in the program of interstellar space travel we will improve our crafts to get farther faster.

Interstellar travel isn't just about speed though, nothing has ever been in deep 'space' and traveling at high velocities, even the smallest stone or matter can damage a spacecraft, especially the aethstetically unpleasing-to-the-eye one's we have nowadays, and probably will have when we are all oldar ( have you seen the NASA CEV, bloody awful, looks like the same ship they used in the 60's!)

I think it would be better to do an unmanned trip first. We don't even know what's there, if anything. I don't know how we'd get any data back from such a long distance either. Perhaps the probe could return after orbitting the star, image anything it sees and brings back all the data. Some major advancements in spacecraft propulsion would be needed though.

I don't see a mission like this happening any time soon sadly.

have you seen the NASA CEV, bloody awful, looks like the same ship they used in the 60's!

I like it. The capsule design is very efficient for going to the Moon and back.

Give me ten virgins and plenty to drink and I'll have a blast. Sixty to seventy years of seeing the stars and planets of other galaxies would be really cool. I'm afraid I'm too old for that now so I'll just dream about it.
But I would not go alone that's for sure. Loneliness would take me over and I'd end up crazy or dead. I agree with others about sending robots first, and wonder if they have ever sent any robots or modules there yet and why not?

There's so much of our Galaxy we need to explore first before we explore another.

[edit on 4/18/2008 by Solarskye]

I think you meant to say...

There's so much of our Solar system we need to explore first before we explore another.

Our Sun, Alpha Centari and about 200 billion other stars are all in the same Galaxy.

I think an idea along these lines would be interesting on a number of ideas. If a large enough craft or complex was built, something that could sustain a few hundred humans for a few hundred years travel, I think it might have merit. Think about a colony that would test humanity in space.

If a craft were to leave with say 50 people, bound for Alpha Centauri, and indeed take 70 years to travel that far, I think it would be reasonable to allow them to reproduce and raise their offspring for the sole purpose of the adventure. They could get to Alpha Centauri, take a look around for a few decades, and head back towards earth. It would be a great experiment in human development and evolution in such conditions.

However the dangers of such an enterprise would be great. Im not talking about space aliens or anything. Im speaking of dangers to spaceflight now. What about an errant piece of space debris, or radiation, or dark matter? How would such astronauts deal with crisis? How would they deal with faltering equipment with limited spare parts? What would they do in the event of internal conflict or stress?

The possibilities are infinite. It probably wont ever happen, but the concept is interesting.