what will happen if we travel in light speed in space shuttle or any other vehicle?

Answer 1

We hope that we have invented all these measures that keep people safe in Star Trek.

Answer 2

We can't. The reason is not the acceleration. At an acceleration of 1 g (the astronaut would feel exactly the same weight as she does on Earth's surface) it would take a little less than 31 million seconds (almost one year), which is possible (although we may have to develop new techniques in order to maintain this acceleration for such a long time - like ion propulsion with electrical engines and large solar panel, but then we run in the problems described by Robert K).

The problem is that the shuttle has mass and, as its speed approaches the speed of light, most of the energy that we'd use to try and increase its speed would end up as adding more kinetic energy without adding to the speed (in the old days, we used to say that the added energy would go as increased mass -- a good analogy but not quite what happens).

As the vehicle goes faster and faster, the astronaut would perceive the universe (flying by her in the reverse direction at the "speed" of the shuttle) to be contracted in length.

A distance between two points (B - A) would be perceived as:
(B - A)*SQRT(1 - v^2)
where v is the speed in fractions of the speed of light.

If the vehicle is going at 0.99 times the speed of light (0.99 c), and the distance, in our frame of reference, from A to B is 11.9 light-years (tau Ceti), the astronaut would measure this distance as being
11.9*SQRT(1-0.98) = 1.68 light-years

If the vehicle were to reach the speed of light (v =1), then v^2 would be 1, 1-v^2 would be 0 and the square root of 0 is zero.

For any two points A and B, the astronaut would perceive the distance as
(B-A)*SQRT(1 - v^2) = 0
Because the speed of light is finite (it is not infinite), then the time it takes her to travel a distance of 0 light-years must be 0 seconds.

For us who stay behind, we interpret this as saying that the clocks on board the vehicle have stopped completely: her time flow is zero.

If the vehicle is on a straight line that never hits anything or never slows down, then, from her point of view, it takes her a time of 0 to go to any point on the line. This means that she is everywhere on the line simultaneously.

My head hurts.

Answer 3

Well, plenty of good answers explaining why you, or anybody else, will not be traveling at the speed of light.

Scientists have, on the other, accelerated information over special fiber-optics at super luminous speeds. This does not violate relativity theory since the information bits had no mass.

I especially liked the answers by zahbudar, stedh 1, Optimus Prime, Robert K and Raymond. Each gives us established and verifiable reasons for his/her comments

Questions like this are interesting but few of us have the physics to delve very much below the surface.

Answer 4

Well, Einstein tells us that time is relative to speed. So, as you travel faster time will 'slow down' in relation to a stationary object. Also, gravity will 'speed up' the flow of time. Which means that if you live high on a mountain you'll actually live longer than if you live at sea level. (The difference will be minute, but there will be a difference. You won't, of course, notice the change.)

At light speed, we believe that time actually stops completely. So if you were to take a trip to Alpha Centauri at the speed of light the trip would seem to be instantaneous, but you'd discover that about 4.37 years have passed back on earth.

However, it's highly unlikely that light speed is even possible. Which means that trips would take only a few seconds or minutes, but would actually take years in 'real time'.

A fun note here, it's theorized that if you could travel faster than the speed of light you'd go BACKWARDS in time. So, technically, you'd arrive at your destination before you left. Wild, huh?

Answer 5

There's another practical matter to be considered. Space is not empty. Anywhere you care to go you'll find material ranging from hydrogen atoms through complex molecules to dust specks.
(even bigger stuff, too, for that matter. But bigger stuff will be less numerous.)

Smashing into this stuff at high speeds would be very dangerous.

I've seen estimates that put our practical speed limit at about 10% that of the speed of light. I suppose this number could be raised with shielding, but then energy cost to achieve the desired speed goes up. A vicious circle.

And I'm only guessing, but maybe inter-galactic space would be clear enough to allow really high speeds, but then the distance problem grows. It would take almost literally forever to get anywhere.

Answer 6

First: The acceleration to the speed of light will result in so many G's that human beings would be smashed into a thin goo all over the inside of the space craft. The fastest space craft in existance today only travel at roughly between 25,000 and 50,000 Miles Per "HOUR."

What you propose is to travel at the speed of light which is
186,000 Miles Per "SECOND."

There are 3,600 seconds in one hour.

So that is 186,000 x 3,600 = Miles Per HOUR
which is 669,600,000 Miles Per Hour.

Which is 13,392 times faster than our fastest space craft.
Err-r-r-r...I don't think that is going to happen any time soon.

Answer 7

According to Einstein's theory of Relativity, if any thing were able to travel the speed of light-including humans- it too will become a beam of light.
I don't totally understand his theory of relativity. But among other things in the theory, he does say that. But we can't prove it any way.
A better idea would be telleportation. You jump in some thing like a phone booth, type in the destination you want to go, any where in the entire universe and it will telleport you there in about Two Seconds. That would be perfect!

Answer 8

According to the theory of relativity travelling through the speed of light is impossible. And scientists haven't invented anything to travel through the speed of light.

Answer 9

If you achieve light travel by accelerating to it, you would absorb an infinite amount of energy, growing to an infinite mass and making the universe crunch because of your gravity.
But, since there is not enough (enough = infinite) energy in the universe, you cannot accelerate to lightspeed in the first place.

Answer 10

According to the special theory of relativity, nothing much changes aboard the craft. However, to those left behind, the craft and those aboard appear:
to have their mass --> infinity
Their time processes appear to halt
Their dimensions in the direction of travel appear to shrink

Answer 11

We can travel the light speed in an out of body experience and Einstein tried to prove it when he died.

I have done it already. OBE's are really gaining worlwide speed.