Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ssc-vax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!hplabs!tektronix!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!eder From: eder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder) Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: Improving Starships Enroute Message-ID: <349@ssc-vax.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Nov-85 15:08:11 EST Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.349 Posted: Fri Nov 8 15:08:11 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 06:20:56 EST References: <1144@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA Lines: 23 > ... However, travel to any star system at nonrelativistic speeds will > take a LONG TIME and require some clever mechanism to support humans for the > trip duration. However, if those humans do not intend to return, then they can > travel at nearly the speed of light and into the future at the same time. They > are gambling that technology won't find a better way to do this in the time > that slipped by. These people might find much more advanced humans already at > their destination when they get there. > > Steve DiPirro > Digital Equipment Corp. > That may not be the bugaboo it is thought to be. If an expedition starts out with a well equipped starship, with a varied assortment of raw materials (which you would do anyway if you were colonizing), and stays in touch with home via radio/laser, as new technologies are developed they could be incorporated into the ship's design. You would need something like a fair sized asteroid plus a complete manufacturing complex and a skilled crew, well suited to the generation ship type of interstellar travel. Really unusual materials might even be delivered to the expedition by way of small, fast courier. Dani Eder/ Advanced Space Transportation/ Boeing