Is Warp Velocity Really the Future of Space Travel?

[Wave's_Hand_Particle]

is coming:http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0410511

 

[enigma]

Sorry to be the wet blanket.

50 years ago, people were making estimates that we were going to have colonies on Mars by now.

While the potential is exciting, the predictions seriously need to be taken with a grain of salt. We're looking at the difference between engineers and physicists.

Engineers (myself included ) are too poor in physics to do the basic research which would lead to something like an anti-hydrogen drive. The physicists, on the other hand, generally sweep the "engineering details" under the rug, and assume that anything is possible if you just throw enough money at it.

It's the 'engineering details' which keep fusion power from becoming a reality, and I've got a firm suspicion that we'll have similar problems trying to contain antimatter for a long term space mission.

 

[Arctic Fox]

Personally, I don’t feel that people will get past c with anything that explodes.

 

[russ_watters]

Strangely, the link says nothing about warp drive...

 

[Wave's_Hand_Particle]

Strangely, the link says nothing about warp drive...

Even more strangely was the insertion of the (?) at the heading wording!

Just a quick google after reading some of the technical aspects of NASA links, one can take note that there is real reasearch going on here is a quote:

Another lab is dedicated to antimatter propulsion. The
collision and mutual annihilation of matter and antimatter is
the most energetic reaction known in physics. The Marshall
Center and its industry and education partners are engaged
in unique research to develop technologies for storage and
use of antimatter for space propulsion. Minute amounts of
antimatter are being used in the lab for this research.

You may not be aware(due to your inability to search and respond?) of this , quote:The collision of and mutual annihilation of matter and anti-matter is the most energetic reaction known to man

Nasa are realistic about the problems, but technically I would say the fact of extra-solar-system travel is no more than 15 yrs away.

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/warp.htm

 

[russ_watters]

Nasa are realistic about the problems, but technically I would say the fact of extra-solar-system travel is no more than 15 yrs away.

On what do you base that? The linked article says 50. And 50 years is the "anything is possible" time horizon for scientists - fusion power has been 50 years away for about the past 50 years, and it may well be 50 years away for the next 50 years.

The collision of and mutual annihilation of matter and anti-matter is the most energetic reaction known to man.

I did read this, but 1,000 times the energy per unit mass of fusion really isn't all that much, considering 10% of light speed (the number cited in the article for reasonable extra-solar travel) is more than 100,000,000 times the energy (10,000 times the speed) we're currently putting into our spacecraft .

Even more strangely was the insertion of the (?) at the heading wording!

Please clarify: were you really asking if this had any implications for warp drive, and if so, what is it that led you to the possibility that it might? Reading the article, I see no basis for even asking about warp drive. It has nothing at all to do with the article.

 

[Wave's_Hand_Particle]

The (?) is really self explanitory, at least that is my understanding on the definition and meaning, ? = Questionable, but it may be my lack of elecutionary proweress!

You are correct in that NASA site details figures for extreme ' spacecraft ' destinations. But I see the future being pioneered by unmannned probes, actually there is a recent paper:http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/cs.CV/0410071
that shows a limited capacity for 'cyborg suit', although having read it is a basic test, that would actually constrain the wearer/astronaut, anyway back to the post above, I see a number of specialist fields coming together to produce a craft that can reach the outer 'extra-solarsystem' in timescales far below the current 'crafts' voyager for instance, dreary and lengthy voyager timescales.

Warp Factor (the kirk-kind) does not have to mean FTL, there would more than likely be a number of HYBRID propulsion techniques, some with more/extra gears, which would bring travel times, and a mention here of 'real-time' quantum data relaying, 'onboard system entangled communication', which would actually add to the reduction of time-of-flight paramiters.

Speculation I know, but the next five years will either scupper or elevate the current reasearch that is currently going on in earnest.

 

[russ_watters]

"Warp" velocity does not imply travel at .1C any more than "sonic" velocity implies travel at 75mph.

...and quantum-entangled communication is against the laws of phyics.

 

[Chronos]

More gears? Jules Verne would be proud.

 

[Wave's_Hand_Particle]

"Warp" velocity does not imply travel at .1C any more than "sonic" velocity implies travel at 75mph.

Exactly!..and by the same token the Prefix 'Anti' can be taken as:http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary ..quite literaly

or here:http://web.ask.co.uk/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2fweb.ask.co.uk%2fweb%3fq%3dDictonary%26o%3d0%26page%3d1&q=Dictonary&u=http%3a%2f%2ftm.ask.co.uk%2fr%3ft%3dan%26s%3da%26uid%3d2d569e010d569e010%26sid%3d3d569e010d569e010%26qid%3dBE27D48A1EEC7C48ACD8CA1D9F61375C%26io%3d0%26sv%3dz6f065baf%26o%3d0%26ask%3dDictonary%26uip%3dd569e010%26en%3dka%26eo%3d0%26pt%3dMeaning%2bof%2bthe%2bword%2bAnti%2baccording%2bto%2bCambridge%2bdictionary%26ac%3d62%26qs%3d0%26pg%3d1%26ep%3d1%26ka_sn%3dukkb%26ka_lhs%3d3356569%26ka_lhx%3dMeaning%2bof%2bthe%2bword%2bAnti%2baccording%2bto%2bCambridge%2bdictionary%26ka_ad%3d0%26ka_f%3d%26ka_lid%3d%26ka_iid%3d%26ka_lit%3dAnti%26ka_stp%3d0%257c1%26u%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fdictionary.cambridge.org%2fcmd_search.asp%3fdict%3dB%26searchword%3dAnti%26x%3d44%26y%3d11&s=a&bu=http%3a%2f%2fdictionary.cambridge.org%2fcmd_search.asp%3fdict%3dB%26searchword%3dAnti%26x%3d44%26y%3d11&qte=0&o=0&rb=0