Scientists produce Star Trek-like deflector device for cancer-free interplanetary travel

Originally posted by andy06shake



"Scientists at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK are working on a Star Trek-like deflector shield to enable the transport of humans between planets and stars without subjecting them to lethal doses of cosmic radiation. This research comes at a vital time, as numerous groups, including NASA, look to send humans to Mars — but without adequate shielding from the Sun’s harsh cosmic rays, it could be a one-way trip full of vomiting, diarrhea, and more serious symptoms of radiation poisoning, such as death."

Came across this article and thought I would bring it to the attention of ATS. Seems to be the way forward if we ever wish to tour our own solar system and remain alive. I wonder if the technology could be upscaled and used to deflect particulate matter like the navigational deflector shields in Star Trek?

www.extremetech.com...

redundant research surely. we already made it to the moon and back numerous times
with no such radiation exposure problems what-so-ever. didn't we?

and don't you dare claim that it is the much shorter trip that makes all the difference!

Originally posted by cheesy
are we already have interplanetery technology? if we not yet..why they cr8 such thing..weird..

reply to post by andy06shake


Creating a 1/2 Ton of anti-matter would indeed destroy the earth. Perfect place to create small amounts would be on the moon.

redundant research surely. we already made it to the moon and back numerous times
with no such radiation exposure problems what-so-ever. didn't we?

and don't you dare claim that it is the much shorter trip that makes all the difference!


Have we been to the moon?

Originally posted by EA006

redundant research surely. we already made it to the moon and back numerous times
with no such radiation exposure problems what-so-ever. didn't we?

and don't you dare claim that it is the much shorter trip that makes all the difference!

edit on 29-6-2013 by TopsyTurvyOne because: (no reason given)

Have we been to the moon?

No! No we have not!

this is the issue i was trying to bring attention to.

reply to post by TopsyTurvyOne


"redundant research surely. we already made it to the moon and back numerous times
with no such radiation exposure problems what-so-ever. didn't we?

and don't you dare claim that it is the much shorter trip that makes all the difference!"

Actually the astronauts aboard the Apollo missions which traveled to the Moon and back received on the order of 1.2 mSv per day, or 1100 times more radiation than those of us down on Earth.

So obviously solar radiation and cosmic rays are going to become more of a problem as journey times and distance increase. It makes sense to develop some kind of magnetic field shielding since you don't need as much real radiation shielding, hence less mass, more thrust, potentially faster travel time.

Cant see why you would think this research redundant considering the far reaching potential, by that I mean magnetic shielding that could actually shield or deflect incoming particulate matter(Micrometeorites) If taken to its logical conclusion!

Originally posted by EA006
reply to post by andy06shake

 

Creating a 1/2 Ton of anti-matter would indeed destroy the earth. Perfect place to create small amounts would be on the moon.

I agree the moon seems a great place to research and produce small quantities of anti-matter. I still don't fancy our chances if a 1/2 Ton of it went off any where in our vicinity considering 1/2 a gram would release the same energy as the bomb at Hiroshima. That's 907185 grams of anti-matter!

I'm not sure how large an explosion that would produce but I think is safe to safe to assume nobody would be around to know afterwards.

Originally posted by EA006
redundant research surely. we already made it to the moon and back numerous times
with no such radiation exposure problems what-so-ever. didn't we?

and don't you dare claim that it is the much shorter trip that makes all the difference!

edit on 29-6-2013 by TopsyTurvyOne because: (no reason given)

A much shorter trip makes all the difference. I mean, really -- it does.

The shorter amount of time you are exposed to the radiation in space, the less dangerous the exposure. It's just that simple. Also, the less of a chance of being caught by a solar flare.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


I remember reading about some of the Apollo crews having seen the Gamma(?) radiation when they had their eyes closed going to sleep. White lines i think. Seems to me they were quite exposed.

reply to post by EA006


Those were cosmic particles, different from gamma rays.

reply to post by wildespace


Cosmic rays are made up of charged particles. Depending on the frequency, cosmic rays can be anything from Gamma to X- rays.....

What they are creating is more BS to spend money going to mars and what for . They will be dead before they get there if for nothing else the lack of oxygen .

reply to post by andy06shake


Now this is interesting, the idea of creating a small high density magnetic field or series of such fields who whose magnetic shell would surround the craft is quite logical but it will need to be very powerful indeed to disperse the heavier radiation that may be encountered as it pass's through the van allen belt's and beyond the magneto sphere of the earth, during the Apollo mission's (some of which may have been faked but I believe that they did nevertheless make several successful trips to the moon) it may have been that either the particle density in the van allen belts was sufficiently low as to not cause the men harm and/or that it was during a period of relatively low solar radiation.

There are other applications for such technology but as a radiation shield it will work but to what degree remains to be seen, remember the earths magnetic field is thousands of miles deep and a small space vessel may be limited in the energy it can produce for such an application.

Thanks for this S+F

This is so #ing cool... it's amazing all the things Star Trek inspires... such a fantastic show.

Originally posted by Astyanax
reply to post by andy06shake

 

It is stated in the articles you have posted that for the concept to function negative matter/energy is a requirement, as I have already suggested we don't have the capability or understanding required to produce this form of matter.

We do.

Though making half a ton of it to power an Alcubierre drive is another story.

edit on 29/6/13 by Astyanax because: we do.

The link is referring to anti-matter, which has a positive energy density. Even if we could make 500kg's of it, it still wouldn't work. Anti-matter + regular matter = Big boom. Exotic matter + regular-matter = Nothing at all.

The closest we have got thus far is the 'Casimir effect'. In the case of the warp-drive, exotic matter which currently doesn't exist, has to be created somehow in a lab. This new matter has to have a 'negative' energy density. You then take this matter & build a ring with it. Then position your spaceship inside the ring.

What we need is a giant moon base that we can just drive over there. Kind of like our moon.

now maybe we could get to the moon, wonder how they made it threw the van allen radiation belts a half decade ago, o yeah another lie weve been feed!!

Originally posted by EA006
reply to post by wildespace

 

Cosmic rays are made up of charged particles.

You got off to a good start. Cosmic rays might be what they saw traces of, and yes they are charged particles, mostly protons (or hydrogen nuclei if you prefer).

Depending on the frequency, cosmic rays can be anything from Gamma to X- rays.....

Gamma and X-rays are not charged particles, they are forms of electromagnetic radiation. An electromagnetic shield would likely protect against the former but not the latter. Lead would be a better shield against EM radiation if that was necessary, but I don't think that's as big a problem as the cosmic rays.

It seems a little confusing to me because in my view, cosmic rays aren't rays at all (like gamma and x-rays are), but that's the name we use for the mostly protons they consist of.

reply to post by big_BHOY

The link is referring to anti-matter, which has a positive energy density.

That's correct.

Even if we could make 500kg's of it, it still wouldn't work.

I agree that making 500kg of antimatter is probably impossible with our current resources.

Anti-matter + regular matter = Big boom.

Correct again. According to the article posted earlier, that is one way to power an Alcubierre-driven starship. Magnetic containment in a vacuum chamber could, in theory at least, isolate the antimatter and prevent the 'big boom'.

Exotic matter + regular-matter = Nothing at all.

Not sure why you bring this up. 'Exotic matter' is a term used to describe several different things, such as BECs and dark matter. Not relevant in any way to this discussion.

In the case of the warp-drive, exotic matter which currently doesn't exist, has to be created somehow in a lab.

All you need is energy. Antimatter will do fine. Antimatter exists.

reply to post by andy06shake

Just a cover. It's really for travel between Northern and Southern Japan.