There's light-speed travel in 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' Is it possible?

[spaminator]

There's light-speed travel in 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' Is it possible?
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Will Dunham
Publishing date:Mar 11, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Visitors to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum see the fully restored original USS Enterprise model from the 1960s "Star Trek" TV series in Washington July 7, 2016.
Visitors to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum see the fully restored original USS Enterprise model from the 1960s "Star Trek" TV series in Washington July 7, 2016. PHOTO BY KEVIN LAMARQUE /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — Spaceships zipping at the speed of light or faster are a staple of science fiction. Think of the Millennium Falcon in the “Star Wars” movies and the starship Enterprise in “Star Trek.” Such travel sounds like fanciful speculation. But is it?

A new research paper authored by an American physicist offers a potential blueprint for superluminal travel – faster than the speed of light – using conventional physics rather than a construct based upon hypothetical particles and states of matter with exotic physical properties.


The paper, published this week in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity, moves the question of superluminal travel a step away from theoretical research and a step toward an engineering challenge, according to physicist Erik Lentz, who did the work while at the University of Göttingen in Germany.

A huge hurdle remains, Lentz said, in finding a way to vastly reduce the immense amount of energy needed to power a theoretical ‘warp drive’ engine before any hope of building a prototype.

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“A ‘warp drive’ technology is principally envisioned to speed up transportation in deep space,” Lentz said. “It can be used to enhance current ambitions for interplanetary and interstellar travel by drastically shortening travel times and widening mission windows.”

The nearest star beyond our solar system is Proxima Centauri, located 4.25 light years – the distance it takes light to travel in a year – away. Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second (300,000 km per second) and 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km) in a year.

Using traditional rocket fuel, it would take about 50,000 to 70,000 years to reach Proxima Centauri, and nuclear propulsion with proposed technology would get there in about 100 years, Lentz said. A light speed trip would take four years and three months.

Lentz’s blueprint envisions above-light-speed travel, which “holds the potential for one-way and round-trip distant interstellar travel within a human lifetime.”

“If we are limited to traveling at sub-light speed, then multi-generational spaceships must be used for destinations beyond the nearest stars, which is basically a glorified burial casket for at least the first generation of people. I do not find that prospect nearly as inspiring,” Lentz said.


His paper describes the theoretical construction of a class of soliton – a compact self-sustaining wave moving with constant velocity through space – capable of superluminal motion. These solitons are often referred to as “warp bubbles” and they would provide the basis for a propulsion system.

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“Currently, the amount of energy required for this new type of space propulsion drive is still immense,” Lentz said. For a spacecraft of about 650 feet (200 metres) in diameter to exceed light speed, that could mean perhaps the energy equivalent of hundreds of times the mass of Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet – a preposterous amount.

A lot of work would be needed to bring this to fruition. Making it practical, Lentz said, would require lowering the energy needs drastically down to the range of modern nuclear fission reactors. A way to create and accelerate the solitons also must be devised, Lentz added.

Lentz views the task as difficult, but not impossible. He said the next phase of theoretical research and development work could unfold over the next several years, with a fully functional prototype drive possible within the coming decade.

“The first truly superluminal drives may come some decades thereafter,” Lentz said. “I would like to see this technology in use in my lifetime.”

There's light-speed travel in 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' Is it possible?

WASHINGTON — Spaceships zipping at the speed of light or faster are a staple of science fiction. Think of the Millennium Falcon in the “Star Wars” movies and the st…

torontosun.com

 

[Blackleaf]

One problem with travelling at or above the speed of light would be that if your ship ran into a dust particle - as is very likely - the ship would be obliterated.

 

[Praxius]

One problem with travelling at or above the speed of light would be that if your ship ran into a dust particle - as is very likely - the ship would be obliterated.

Not exactly.

I read about these theories over the last couple of years. Many said FTL travel goes against Einstein's/Physics laws that objects can't move faster than light or whatever.

But some have bent the rules so it's possible without actually breaking those rules. The "Warp Bubble" essentially encases the ship/object within a confined area. Instead of moving the ship, the bubble moves space around the ship. You, the ship and everything else within this bubble isn't actually moving and are stationary (though some have noted some forward momentum may be required before jumping to FTL)

Therefore, if there are any objects or hazards ahead of where you're going, those objects would warp around the bubble and pass by, rather than go through...... Kind of like a pot of water and you put a drop of oil in it. The Warp bubble is the oil and the water is space.

Within Star Trek, they have their own interesting way of explaining their warp engine power, which is by using the energy created from mixing/colliding matter energy with anti matter energy, which is regulated by dilithium crystals (which don't really exist) to prevent a very large explosion.

But outside of warp, they use "Impulse" engines which are nuclear powered propulsion.

On the original series in the 60s, the Enterprise had a big satellite dish looking thing below the saucer section. In the movies this dish was a big blue light. In Next Generation, the Enterprise D had an oval dish and blue light behind. This was the deflector dish, which produced basically a repulsive force field that pushed objects, dust and other things that could be dangerous out of the way as the ship moved forward.

Outside of the FTL bubble, you'd probably want something like this in place to reduce the chance of some micro space dust shooting through the ship like a bullet and causing the ship to decompress.

 

[Blackleaf]

Not exactly.

I read about these theories over the last couple of years. Many said FTL travel goes against Einstein's/Physics laws that objects can't move faster than light or whatever.

But some have bent the rules so it's possible without actually breaking those rules. The "Warp Bubble" essentially encases the ship/object within a confined area. Instead of moving the ship, the bubble moves space around the ship. You, the ship and everything else within this bubble isn't actually moving and are stationary (though some have noted some forward momentum may be required before jumping to FTL)

Therefore, if there are any objects or hazards ahead of where you're going, those objects would warp around the bubble and pass by, rather than go through...... Kind of like a pot of water and you put a drop of oil in it. The Warp bubble is the oil and the water is space.

Within Star Trek, they have their own interesting way of explaining their warp engine power, which is by using the energy created from mixing/colliding matter energy with anti matter energy, which is regulated by dilithium crystals (which don't really exist) to prevent a very large explosion.

But outside of warp, they use "Impulse" engines which are nuclear powered propulsion.

On the original series in the 60s, the Enterprise had a big satellite dish looking thing below the saucer section. In the movies this dish was a big blue light. In Next Generation, the Enterprise D had an oval dish and blue light behind. This was the deflector dish, which produced basically a repulsive force field that pushed objects, dust and other things that could be dangerous out of the way as the ship moved forward.

Outside of the FTL bubble, you'd probably want something like this in place to reduce the chance of some micro space dust shooting through the ship like a bullet and causing the ship to decompress.

That'll probably be the only way we could do it.

 

[petros]

No. Neither Star Wars or Star Trek are real.

 

[Praxius]

No. Neither Star Wars or Star Trek are real.

You might find this interesting.

 

[Blackleaf]

No. Neither Star Wars or Star Trek are real.

I think they are looking at cloaking ships in some sort of "subspace" to make them move faster than light. Lots of technology has appeared on Star Trek that's eventually appeared in real life.

 

[petros]

It's nice to know we have laser guided lasers today. It'll be our secret weapon against the Klingons and the Empire in the future.

 

[Blackleaf]

It's nice to know we have laser guided lasers today. It'll be our secret weapon against the Klingons and the Empire in the future.

Who knows what alien civilisations are out there?

 

[petros]

Mmmmmm BBQed Ewok.

 

[Torch light]

In my personal opinion: such speed as the light speed may not be possible with the material or mortal beings... but may be possible with the ethereal or spiritual beings.

I deduce this from the "spiritual night journey of Prophet Mohammed" which lasted one hour of time: he went from Mecca to Jerusalem then ascended to the seven ethereal heavens and reached near the Throne of God Who revealed to His servant Mohammed what He revealed to prophets before him, then Mohammed returned to his sleeping body in his bed at Mecca.

The night journey of Prophet Mohammed and his ascension to heaven
quran-ayat.com/man/3.htm#The_night_journey_of_Prophet_Mohammed_an