Century (Generation) Spacecraft

[Trevor Woodrow]

Hi all,

Two questions.

Read this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44780898/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Question one: If this expedition was going to happen, and they came knocking on your door right now with your ticket, would you go?

Question two: Would you change your answer if you were in the prime of your life and had no dependants?

If no to both, then why...okay that is three questions, but that is okay.

For me, I would answer no and yes. If I was early to mid-twenties fresh out of school with no dependants, I would be good to go!

t

[Greg Marshall]

The assumption is that we could achieve 15% of the speed of light, which makes it a moot point for me because I don't expect that will be achieved in my life time. Furthermore, even at this tremendous speed we're talking about a 100 year journey, so you either put the passengers in suspended animation (that technology might be developed before the star ship speed) or support life on the ship for multiple generations. Since I'm too old to raise another batch of children (!) and probably too infirm to survive suspended animation, I would not be a suitable candidate even if I wanted to go.

On the other hand, it would be the greatest adventure of all human history. "Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life on this planet!"

[Trevor Woodrow]

lol Hopp...the article estimates that the journey would take approx 100 years. Surely the first generation would not make it. Maybe a few from the second generation, and bit more from the third and definately most of the fourth would arrive. But these later generations would only know of Earth what they were told having never seen it. Assuming they can get the science and logistics down, there is the human questions like "could I live the rest of my years on a spacecraft?" and "could I shackle future generations to the decisions that I made today?"