Can a solar sail propel an object to relativistic speeds? The whole point of space travel is to go to other planets at a speed fast enough that the people going there will not be dead or elderly by the time they reach their destination. The only way to do that is by achieving light speed or damn near it. I do not want to board a solar sail vessel bound for Proxima Centauri b (4.22ly) and be dust by the time I get there.
Comment on Helium-3: Mining the fuel of the future on the Moon
optissima@lemmy.world 1 month agoThough, of course, simple scientific curiosity may not justify the enormous cost of the undertaking. That’s where commercial interest comes in.
That’s not what this is about, the author doesn’t care about that, all they see is a finite, exploitable resource that will line their pockets.
However, to answer your question, we already have that technology.
AutistoMephisto@lemmy.world 1 month ago
3volver@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Solar sails don’t produce a significant amount of thrust, you didn’t answer my question.
optissima@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Nuclear, or if you want space stuff, build a station at the Lagrange point and sling from there? I don’t need to be an expert in launch solutions to know that we shouldn’t speculate mining the moon till it’s well researched and that we have more accessible options here for the forseeable future with solar as my choice of example, so let’s not jump the gun on another finite resource?
3volver@lemmy.world 1 month ago
You can’t launch a rocket using solar. Nuclear is exactly what helium-3 will provide. Speculation is the first step of exploiting the Moon’s value.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium-3#Nuclear_fuel
Do your research before acting like you know what you’re writing about. There are so many things to complain about when it comes to capitalism, this is not one of them.
optissima@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I literally laid this out in the second sentence, thanks!