Science question about interstellar space travel?

Question

How far away are we realistically to travel outside our solar system and beyond? What sort of energy would we most likely use or are there more important factors to consider? Just curious :)

Answer 1

You asked a question with a rather long answer, but here is a quicky that scratches the surface. Traveling to solar systems outside of our own is a ways off. It is difficult to say how far off though as a single invention could turn it from impossible to trivial. Currently it is not possible because rockets are very slow (relatively speaking) and horribly expensive. The nearest star would take 4 years to reach at the speed of light and we don't have anything that comes even close to that. But wormholes and other forms of tunneling through space hold the promise of making it possible. However, tunneling on anything beyond the subatomic level has yet to be done in a lab. If a technology is produced to allow it for larger objects (such as a spacecraft), then interstellar space travel could occur shortly afterwards.

As for a power source, I think nuclear fusion or maybe just good old fashion fission are viable methods. Both provide a very large amount of energy with a minimum of weight. Unlike rocket fuel, they are also cheap.

Answer 2

Under current technology, the most likely may be a very large space station (hundreds or thousand of metres in diameter) that could be self-containing. It would not be necessary for it to travel fast, because the people inhabiting it would be there for generations and generations. It may take thousands of years to travel to other solar systems (if they could EVER find one that could sustain life); but even a modest engine (probably fusion powered if it were to last so long) giving a gentle thrust would accelerate the 'global village' to near light speed after centuries of accelleration.
If it were fusion powered, they may have to stop off here and there to gather hydrogen (from ice) to fuel their reator. I think Larry Niven wrote a sci-fi novel about such an undertaking.

Answer 3

With the right infrastructure it will be possible within centuries as the "infrastructure" would have to be built at the destination world and the equipment can only be shipped in sub light speed. And of course you need to find a suitable destination world... But once all the equipment is in place humans can travel at light speed without breaking any laws of physics. No humans will EVER be confined to spending generations in a huge space ark!!!

Answer 4

Realistically we have a tremendous way to go, we have not landed on the moon in how many years and chances are we will get a base built on the moon long before we ever go to mars and we will go to mars LONG before we attempt to go anywhere else, outside our solar system may be feasible but not realistic for any kind of a time frame.