What do you think is the best way to traverse space.?

Question

Give details on what you think is the best way to travel in space ie, if you were building a spaceship or starship with current or near future technology what propulsion system would you use, how big would it be, how fast would it theoretically travel, how and where would it be constructed. This question takes a big brain and some research give as much detail as you possibly can anything you can think of and prove might actually work include it however it may benefit your spacecraft.

Answer 1

'What's the fastest way between two points?'
"A straight line."
'Wrong, the fastest way between two points is Zero.'

-Event Horizon

Answer 2

Right now, the best propulsive system devised (not tried yet, however) is the variable specific impulse magneto-plasma rocket (VASIMR). It starts by heating up a fluid to plasma temperature, and then electro-magnetically accelerates it to provide thrust. The interesting thing is that it can provide a fairly high thrust at a comparatively low efficiency, or a low thrust at very high specific impulse, a bit like a car changing gear.
That engine requires lots of electrical energy, which must be supplied with large (very large) solar powers if used relatively close to the sun, or nuclear power plant, if deep planetary missions are called for.

As to how fast it can go, that depends not only on the rocket type, but on the reaction mass fraction, and in the case of the VASIMR, how much power can be obtained from the power supply.

Beyond the VASIMR, which is a serious, sound design, with components already in prototype form, there are only speculations and no solid, demonstrated physics principles for propulsion. VASIMR is the best we know of now. But who knows what next year can bring?

Answer 3

By "best" I would assume that because of the incomprehendable distances to what might be considered a meaningful destination, that 'speed' would be the key. I saw a model of such a "ship". It takes into consideration the amount of free hydrogen floating around in the void of space. This ship would have to be constructed in the weightlessness of outer space. It would have a dish, or a "collector" at the front. It's purpose would be to capture as much hydrogen as possible. Based on what is available out there, this collector would have to be around 3000 miles wide. The captured hydrogen would be funneled into a reactor, where it would be converted to helium and expelled out the back. Theoretically, it would eventually get the ship moving towards the speed of light.

Brakes, turn signals and sound system not included :-o

Answer 4

Use the cosmic dust you may find in space.
Give it an electric charge and expel it by repulsion.
By reaction the spaceship will accelerate.
Quite slowly at the beginning, but without any friction it will soon get a speed proportional to the speed of the expelled particles.
Such propulsion would be efficient only for very long trips.
The energy to produce the electric charge could be produced from an atomic reaction or by solar panels (within the solar system).

Answer 5

By contracting space itself. By having the ability to control time & space you could travel light years worth of space with a simple walking step. Speed isn't nessessary to cover huge amounts of space. How to contract space? With Mass. Mass will pull in space and when the mass disapears the space will stretch apart to where it was before the mass.

Of course the energy to do such acts would be huge.

For example. Would the sun be the exact same distant to earths core if earth no longer existed? Nope, the sun would be further away even though the difference would be small. When earth disappeared the fabric of space stretched back and as a result the sun 'moved' away in the same way raisins move away from each other in a rising cake.

Answer 6

I travel my space with a pair of fur lined slippers that are exceptionally light weight and very fast to slip on and off.
I find that they do not consume much in the way of energy,
and that their pollution is tolerable. At times I actually remove
these slippers and go without any exterior support equipment.
However, those times are usually only in the hottest part of the year, and do not qualify as the normal situation here.

Answer 7

You really should get and read the book "Entering Space" by Dr. Robert Zubrin, PhD, available on Amazon and in many local bookstores. I think you will highly enjoy it.

Answer 8

I like to perambulate. Its environmentally friendly and quite healthy, too.