Discussion of Interstellar Travel

[e-FTW]

Agree.

We can also agree that the various proposed methods of future space travel are, as a matter of basic physics, more efficient than chemical propulsion.

So then it’s a matter of how much more efficient and how that affects travel time. There’s an inflection point in there somewhere and we’re definitely not smart enough today to know if that inflection point comes before or after the bookend of human feasibility.

Maybe the inflexion point is when we hit super-intelligent A.I. It might bother with coming up with a way to send us to the stars.

 

[Grendal]

Moved discussion about interstellar travel to a separate thread.

 

[ecarfan]

Moved discussion about interstellar travel to a separate thread.

Thank you. It was not relevant to the BFR/BFS thread, despite the change of name to “Starship”.

 

[Electroman]

Ton of good information about the possible habitable planet orbiting Proxima Centauri