Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
nationalgeographic.com
Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
1–10 of 410 posts
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#2With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip due to the "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation" [0]. I'm looking forward to the day we start finding exo-planets that are closer to Earth in size and which could potentially have space-faring races (and which we could leave if we were ever to visit them).
[0] - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/exped...
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#3With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip due to the "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation" [0]. I'm looking forward to the day we start finding exo-planets that are closer to Earth in size and which could potentially have space-faring races (and which we could leave if we were ever to visit them). [0] - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/exped...
> With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip
Assuming chemical propulsion and no refuelling at the destination.
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#4With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip due to the "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation" [0]. I'm looking forward to the day we start finding exo-planets that are closer to Earth in size and which could potentially have space-faring races (and which we could leave if we were ever to visit them). [0] - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/exped...
It's 111 light years away. For all intents and purposes, that's a one way trip right there; irregardless of the rocket equation. Even at relativistic speeds, you can't come home anymore.
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#5With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip due to the "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation" [0]. I'm looking forward to the day we start finding exo-planets that are closer to Earth in size and which could potentially have space-faring races (and which we could leave if we were ever to visit them). [0] - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/exped...
> With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip Assuming chemical propulsion and no refuelling at the destination.
If it's chemical propulsion, you're dead when you get there.
If there's no refuelling (and you need refuelling) with some other travel mechanism, you can't get back.
So we have an "or" assumption, not "and", with an additional and assumption about refuelling. That's how I read it.
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#6It's depressing to think that if there is intelligent life on that planet, we won't be able to communicate with them in any way in our lifetime, yet it's so close. Unless they started sending communications our way over a century ago.
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#7With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip due to the "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation" [0]. I'm looking forward to the day we start finding exo-planets that are closer to Earth in size and which could potentially have space-faring races (and which we could leave if we were ever to visit them). [0] - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/exped...
> With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip Assuming chemical propulsion and no refuelling at the destination.
I think what the GP refers to is that there isn’t enough energy in chemical rockets to overcome its gravity, even flight might not be even possible albeit that’s also dependent on the density of the atmosphere to some extent.
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#8With a planet this large, visiting it would be a one way trip due to the "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation" [0]. I'm looking forward to the day we start finding exo-planets that are closer to Earth in size and which could potentially have space-faring races (and which we could leave if we were ever to visit them). [0] - https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/exped...
So that's purely for a chemical rocket, right?
Is there any combination of tricks that can realistically push the envelope there? For example can we use a space elevator to start higher/faster (or, I don't know, balloons? a catapult or railgun or something?), laser power delivery from the ground, so we don't have to carry all the fuel, and an orbiting way-station for refueling, etc.?
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#9What makes a planet an "alien" planet?
Re: Water found on a potentially life-friendly alien planet
#10It's depressing to think that if there is intelligent life on that planet, we won't be able to communicate with them in any way in our lifetime, yet it's so close. Unless they started sending communications our way over a century ago.
If it is depressing to think about it, then why think about it? Does it have any real implications for significant outcomes about your life or is it in a way some type of FOMO?