Will we be able to visit other solar systems anytime soon?

In summary: We certainly won't be sending people in person.In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of manned space flight and exploration, particularly in regards to reaching other systems outside of our own. The current limitations and risks associated with manned missions make it unlikely that we will see any significant progress in this area within a person's lifetime. However, there is potential for advancements in unmanned probes, although the practicality and benefits of such missions are still uncertain. Ultimately, it seems that humanity will remain confined to Earth for the foreseeable future.
  • #1
Biker
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Is there any promising ways to do that? Will it be within a person's life time? I am talking about both unmanned ships and eventually manned ones. Will there ever be a fast way to get to other systems or is humanity just stuck to earth? The idea that everything is there but unreachable is just..

Thank you in advance.
 
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Biker said:
Is there any promising ways to do that? Will it be within a person's life time? I am talking about both unmanned ships and eventually manned ones. Will there ever be a fast way to get to other systems or is humanity just stuck to earth? The idea that everything is there but unreachable is just..

Thank you in advance.

After the Moon landings, it became obvious how expensive and dangerous manned space flight was. There's no commerical payback. It's all scientific exploration, with the only commercial payback being any technological advancements from the R&D.

It's possible/probable that we could send a manned mission to Mars. But, the costs and risks are significant. There are several long threads on here about colonising Mars and/or the Moon. Some of us think this is futuristic fantasy; others, don't see many practical problems.

In terms of manned flights outside the solar system, that is beyond the horizon. I know some famous scientists have been promoting the idea on TV, but it really is so far beyond our current engineering capability that it's anybody's guess if and when we will ever do it.
 
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  • #3
Biker said:
Is there any promising ways to do that?
no
Will it be within a person's life time?
no
I am talking about both unmanned ships and eventually manned ones. Will there ever be a fast way to get to other systems
no, not as far as we know
or is humanity just stuck to earth?
pretty much
The idea that everything is there but unreachable is just..
realistic

I think we'll have unmanned probes eventually but It's not clear to me what/how we will learn from them
 
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1. How far away are other solar systems?

The closest solar system to ours is the Alpha Centauri system, which is about 4.3 light years away. Other solar systems can be much farther, with the farthest known solar system being 13 billion light years away.

2. Will we be able to travel to other solar systems at the speed of light?

Currently, we do not have the technology to travel at the speed of light. Even with the fastest spacecraft, it would take tens of thousands of years to reach the nearest solar system. However, scientists are researching ways to potentially travel faster in the future.

3. What are the challenges of visiting other solar systems?

One of the biggest challenges is the vast distance between solar systems. It would require incredibly advanced technology and resources to travel such distances. Additionally, the harsh and unknown environments of other solar systems could pose risks to human life.

4. Are there any plans to send spacecraft to other solar systems?

Currently, there are no official plans to send spacecraft to other solar systems. However, there are ongoing research and development projects to potentially send probes or unmanned spacecraft to explore other solar systems in the future.

5. Will we ever be able to colonize other solar systems?

It is currently not possible to colonize other solar systems due to the vast distances and lack of technology. However, with continued advancements in technology and space exploration, it is possible that humans could one day establish colonies on other planets within our own solar system and potentially even other solar systems.

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