Pentagon dreams of Star Trek Interstellar Travel

Feuer Frei! · 06-19-11, 02:51 AM

DARPA, the Pentagon's research agency that helped foster the Internet, wants someone to dream up a way to send people to a star.
The winner will get half a million dollars for the idea. This month 150 competitors answered the federal government's initial call for private sector cosmic ideas. Officials say some big names are among those interested. The plan is to make interstellar travel possible in about a century.
The Defense Department is known for big spending and big ideas. It devised a space-based missile defense system in the 1980s known as "Star Wars." Its new trademarked 100-year Starship Study concept comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The agency is spending a total of $1 million on the project. After presentations are made this fall at a conference in Orlando, Fla., DARPA will decide in November who gets the money.
The grant would be "seed money" to help someone start thinking about the idea and then get it off the ground in the private sector, David Neyland, director of DARPA's tactical technology office, said in a Thursday teleconference.
This isn't about going to a nearby planet, like Mars. And it's not about using robotic probes, which doesn't interest the Defense Department, Neyland said.
But even the nearest star beyond our sun is 25 trillion miles away. The fastest rocket man has built would take more than 4,000 years to get there. This isn't just about thinking new rocket methods, Neyland said. It's also about coping with extended life in space, raising issues of medicine, agriculture, ethics and self-reliance, he said.
Among those who showed an interest in the project earlier this year is millionaire scientist Craig Venter, one of those who mapped the human genome and is now working on artificial life and alternative fuels.
"We want to capture the imagination of folks," Neyland said.
Not everyone agrees with spending money this way. Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said, "When you look at the universe - pun intended - of things we have to spend money on, this has to be pretty down on the priority list."

SOURCE

kraznyi_oktjabr · 06-19-11, 03:31 AM

I'm quite sure that I'm not going to witness results of this program. I'm not sure is it good or bad thing.

What worries me is the idea of nation states getting their hands to interstellar travel. Idea of having USA, China,... whoever will be superpower or able to form coalition in 100 years from now in space competiting of space resources is recipe for disaster.

If I would be alien commander I would rather wipe out humankind than take risk of billions of trouble makers hanging around...

Betonov · 06-19-11, 05:03 AM

we don't even have the will to revisit the moon, and these jokers are dreaming about interstellar travel ??

Nice gesture though. Half a million just for an idea. But still, the best idea will only start gathering dust afterwards

TLAM Strike · 06-19-11, 10:38 AM

Won't happen under this administration...

Also NASA's mission is to help teach Muslims about rocketry and not explore space, so I doubt it will be built.

MH · 06-19-11, 11:07 AM

Mars would be a good start for exploration and then solar system.
Might be full of resource's too.
Maybe the plan is to drill for oil on alpha centauri planets?

Betonov · 06-19-11, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MH

Maybe the plan is to drill for oil on alpha centauri planets?

Then the system would be colonized by 2020

TLAM Strike · 06-19-11, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MH

Maybe the plan is to drill for oil on alpha centauri planets?

Maybe Gilise 581.

Platapus · 06-19-11, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

If I would be alien commander I would rather wipe out humankind than take risk of billions of trouble makers hanging around...

I like the movie Men in Black

Quote:

Human thought is so primitive it's looked upon as an infectious disease in some of the better galaxies. That kind of makes you proud, doesn't it? huh?

06-19-11, 02:51 AM	#1
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	Pentagon dreams of Star Trek Interstellar Travel DARPA, the Pentagon's research agency that helped foster the Internet, wants someone to dream up a way to send people to a star. The winner will get half a million dollars for the idea. This month 150 competitors answered the federal government's initial call for private sector cosmic ideas. Officials say some big names are among those interested. The plan is to make interstellar travel possible in about a century. The Defense Department is known for big spending and big ideas. It devised a space-based missile defense system in the 1980s known as "Star Wars." Its new trademarked 100-year Starship Study concept comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The agency is spending a total of $1 million on the project. After presentations are made this fall at a conference in Orlando, Fla., DARPA will decide in November who gets the money. The grant would be "seed money" to help someone start thinking about the idea and then get it off the ground in the private sector, David Neyland, director of DARPA's tactical technology office, said in a Thursday teleconference. This isn't about going to a nearby planet, like Mars. And it's not about using robotic probes, which doesn't interest the Defense Department, Neyland said. But even the nearest star beyond our sun is 25 trillion miles away. The fastest rocket man has built would take more than 4,000 years to get there. This isn't just about thinking new rocket methods, Neyland said. It's also about coping with extended life in space, raising issues of medicine, agriculture, ethics and self-reliance, he said. Among those who showed an interest in the project earlier this year is millionaire scientist Craig Venter, one of those who mapped the human genome and is now working on artificial life and alternative fuels. "We want to capture the imagination of folks," Neyland said. Not everyone agrees with spending money this way. Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said, "When you look at the universe - pun intended - of things we have to spend money on, this has to be pretty down on the priority list." SOURCE __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

06-19-11, 03:31 AM	#2
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	I'm quite sure that I'm not going to witness results of this program. I'm not sure is it good or bad thing. What worries me is the idea of nation states getting their hands to interstellar travel. Idea of having USA, China,... whoever will be superpower or able to form coalition in 100 years from now in space competiting of space resources is recipe for disaster. If I would be alien commander I would rather wipe out humankind than take risk of billions of trouble makers hanging around... __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

06-19-11, 10:38 AM	#4
TLAM Strike Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 8,633 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 6	Won't happen under this administration... Also NASA's mission is to help teach Muslims about rocketry and not explore space, so I doubt it will be built. __________________

06-19-11, 05:03 AM	#3
Betonov Navy Seal Join Date: May 2009 Location: Slovenia Posts: 8,647 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	we don't even have the will to revisit the moon, and these jokers are dreaming about interstellar travel ?? Nice gesture though. Half a million just for an idea. But still, the best idea will only start gathering dust afterwards

06-19-11, 11:07 AM	#5
MH Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 3,184 Downloads: 248 Uploads: 0	Mars would be a good start for exploration and then solar system. Might be full of resource's too. Maybe the plan is to drill for oil on alpha centauri planets?