Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)Project Orion was a study conducted in the 1950s and 1960s by the United States Air Force, DARPA, and NASA into the viability of a nuclear pulse spaceship that would be directly propelled by a series of atomic explosions behind the craft. Following preliminary ideas in the 1940s and a classified paper co-authored by physicist Stanisław Ulam in 1955, DARPA (then known as ARPA) agreed to sponsor and fund the program in July 1958.
Project DaedalusProject Daedalus (named after Daedalus, the Greek mythological designer who crafted wings for human flight) was a study conducted between 1973 and 1978 by the British Interplanetary Society to design a plausible uncrewedinterstellar probe. Intended mainly as a scientific probe, the design criteria specified that the spacecraft had to use existing or near-future technology and had to be able to reach its destination within a human lifetime.
StarshipA starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" are found as early as 1882 in Oahspe: A New Bible.
Nuclear pulse propulsionNuclear pulse propulsion or external pulsed plasma propulsion is a hypothetical method of spacecraft propulsion that uses nuclear explosions for thrust. It originated as Project Orion with support from DARPA, after a suggestion by Stanisław Ulam in 1947. Newer designs using inertial confinement fusion have been the baseline for most later designs, including Project Daedalus and Project Longshot.
Interstellar travelHypothetical travel between stars or planetary systemsA Bussard ramjet, one of many possible methods that could serve to propel spacecraftInterstellar travel is the hypothetical travel of spacecraft between star systems. Due to the vast distances between the Solar System and nearby stars, interstellar travel is not practicable with current propulsion technologies.
Space probeA space probe is an uncrewed robotic spacecraft designed to explore outer space and transmit scientific data back to Earth. Space probes are used to investigate the Moon, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, the Sun, and interstellar space. Unlike artificial satellites, which usually remain in orbit around Earth, probes are sent beyond Earth orbit toward other celestial bodies or into deep space.
Enzmann starshipEnzmann starships are concepts for a crewed interstellar spacecraft by Dr. Robert Enzmann. In the original design proposed in 1964, a three million ton ball of frozen deuterium would fuel nuclear fusion rocket engines contained in a cylindrical section behind that ball with the crew quarters. The craft would be about 2,000 feet (600 m) long overall. Later designs, such as the Echolance, are smaller and involve ramjet style engines.
Voyager programThe Voyager program is an American scientific program that employs two interstellar probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment to explore the two gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and potentially also the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune—to fly near them while collecting data for transmission back to Earth.
Speed of lightThe speed of light is the speed of electromagnetic waves. Light travels at slower speed inside materials like glass or water; its highest speed is in a vacuum. The speed of light in vacuum is a universal physical constant denoted c (in ISO and IEC standards c 0 {\displaystyle c_{0}} ), exactly equal to 299792458 m⋅s−1.
Radioisotope thermoelectric generatorA radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG, RITEG), or radioisotope power system (RPS), is a type of nuclear battery that uses an array of thermocouples to convert the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioactive material into electricity by the Seebeck effect. This type of generator has no moving parts and is ideal for deployment in remote and harsh environments for extended periods with no risk of parts wearing out or malfunctioning.
Gravity assistA gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby which makes use of the relative movement (e.g. orbit around the Sun) and gravity of a planet or other astronomical object to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft, typically to save propellant and reduce expense.
British Interplanetary SocietyThe British Interplanetary Society (BIS), founded in Liverpool in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest existing space advocacy organisation in the world. Its aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration.
Global catastrophe scenariosScenarios in which a global catastrophic risk creates harm have been widely discussed. Some sources of catastrophic risk are anthropogenic (caused by humans), such as global warming, environmental degradation, and nuclear war. Others are non-anthropogenic or natural, such as meteor impacts or supervolcanoes. The impact of these scenarios can vary widely, depending on the cause and the severity of the event, ranging from temporary economic disruption to human extinction.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.