to send out a probe with a telescope like the hubbles into deep space toward the closest(Presumably) life supporting world(s) with a laser communications system to send back clearer pictures? Every so often smaller probes designed to capture these signals could be sent out on the same course following the first and so on to boost the first probes signal back to earth like a giant antenna. Clear information at the speed of light. Think of the information we could gather? That and the fact that we could boost our signal to the farthest reaches of space. You would think that with all the communications satallete technology we have now this could be achieved. I know price is a factor but If you used the money typically spent on the space shuttle missions and had private investors? Think of the posssibilities? Could anyone with proper knowledge of this technology give me an answer and details why this would or would not be plausable.
2006-09-26 02:44:43 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
We wouldnt need to go alll the way to another star. The telescope would bring things to us the farther it traveled away from us through imagery.
2006-09-26 04:07:38 · update #1
It kinda sounds like a neat idea, but remember space is really big! Spacecraft launched in the 1970s (Pioneer, Voyager) haven't even left our solar system yet. The nearest star system to the Sun is Alpha Centauri, which is over 4 light-years away, and we don't expect that system to have any habitable planets (it's a multiple star system, so a planet in a stable orbit would be nearly impossible). And any space craft that is going to go that far away from the Sun will need its own power supply that will last decades.
I think we're better off building better telescopes here at home than sending 'scopes out into deep space. Perhaps once space travel technology has advanced your idea will be feasable. But as it stands right now our space craft can't go fast enough to make it worth while.
2006-09-26 04:24:01 · answer #1 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a couple of problems with that idea.
First, we do not have any rockets big enough to send something as big as Hubble out of the solar system.
Second, even at 30,000 miles per hour, which is about as fast as we can make anything go with rockets, it still takes 100,000 years to get to the nearest star, which is 25 trillion miles away.
Anyway, I don't think small relay craft would be needed. Our laser and radio technology is better than our rocket technology so I think it would be no problem to send the signal directly back to Earth even from the distance of another star.
2006-09-26 10:03:06 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Impossible I'm afraid it's actually going to take far longer than we have just to send the telescope to the nearest star system (about 2.7 light years away) let alone the nearest life bearing system.
FTL travel is nothing but a dream and the amount of fuel required to achieve it would also be ridiculously expensive and heavy (you'd have to send it with the telescope for most of the journey).
Other than that it's a pretty good idea and I'd be willing to chip in a pound to get it going.
2006-09-26 09:48:17 · answer #3 · answered by nkellingley@btinternet.com 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
even if it was already in place and the information traveled at teh speed of light it would be so far away you would be long gone before the info made it to earth. and by the way it wouldnt need boosting satelites cuz light only stops when it hits something it cant pass thru.
2006-09-27 22:10:14 · answer #4 · answered by hondacobra 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ammount of precition nessesscary is almost impossible because of teh ever changing position of the planet.
2006-09-26 09:48:58 · answer #5 · answered by Sniper 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋