OT true - NASA wants to send a spacecraft to explore Alpha Centauri

On Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 7:35:30 AM UTC-8, a425couple wrote:
NASA wants to send a spacecraft to explore Alpha Centauri
Brittany A. Roston - Dec 27, 2017 68

(For a long time it has been a staple of sci-fi,
and now there is thoughts of a plan!)

NASA wants to send a spacecraft to explore Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri, a star system located more than four light-years from
Earth, has caught NASA’s eye in a big way. A Jet Propulsion Laboratory
team wants to send a spacecraft to explore the system, though it will
take decades to get all the groundwork in place. The exploration, should
it actually happen, would take place around the Apollo II mission’s
100th anniversary in 2069.

This is according to New Scientist, which reports that this project
doesn’t yet have a name, and is in its very infancy. The technology
capable of getting a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri doesn’t yet exist,
meaning there’s a literal lifetime of work ahead of these researchers.
It’s a big dream that will require a lot of effort.

The project was detailed at the 2017 American Geophysical Union
conference held earlier this month in New Orleans. The presentation was
made by JPL’s Anthony Freeman, who described it as “very nebulous.�
According to New Scientist, a federal funding bill requiring NASA to
study interstellar travel was the basis for the project’s conception.

The project, at least as it is currently imagined, will involve studying
the exoplanet Proxima b specifically, doing so in the search for signs
of life beyond our own planet. NASA is tasked with developing technology
that can travel at a tenth of the speed of light, which means it’ll take
about 44 years for this mission’s future spacecraft to simply arrive at
its destination.

This means that yes, unfortunately, most people reading this will likely
not be around to find out what the mission discovers. However, assuming
the spacecraft gets to its destination without issue, your grand kids
may be in for an exciting announcement some time after the year 2100.

SOURCE: New Scientist



https://www.slashgear.com/nasa-wants...auri-27513016/

Comments include:
bob green • 14 hours ago
I can't wait.

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DogRancher bob green • 11 hours ago
I agree - I can't wait either.

NASA wants to send a spacecraft to explore Alpha Centauri

Why not? - However, lets not wait 52 years to make the first attempt.

We could probably get something ready to go in 3 or 4 years.

We could use ion propulsion similar to that sent the NASA's Dawn
spacecraft deep into asteroid belt, with larger tanks powered with a
nuclear power source.

Later on if when other technologies become available we can send out
other space probes.

There is an article in Space dot Com labeled "New Rocket Engine Could
Reach Mars in 40 Days" using something called VASIMR Variable Specific
Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket.

National Geographic has an article called "NASA Team Claims ‘Impossible’
Space Engine Works—Get the Facts" discussing the EmDrive

We won't know if we don't try. - Lets stretch our capabilities.
--

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Armani Webb DogRancher • 10 hours ago
There is a scientific name for the reason we don't do that. Why send an
expensive interstellar probe to alpha Centauri that will take 100,000
years to get there, if we can send a probe 60 years later for the same
cost and it will get there in less than a hundred years. We achieve
nothing by sending the first probe, by the time it leaves the solar
system our second probe which launched 60 years later is already half
way to alpha Centauri .

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carbonUnit Armani Webb • 10 hours ago
Right. You don't want your expensive probe to be half way to it's
destination, only to be waved at by the passing tourist ships...


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SeniorMoment (pen name) carbonUnit • 8 hours ago
Dream on, since nothing of the physics of such long trips is likely to
change within the next century. You can enjoy the thrill now by reading
science fiction.


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SeniorMoment (pen name) DogRancher • 8 hours ago
The goal is worthwhile, but the actual timing is likely to depend on
when the technological benchmarks are achieved, starting with a safe
reactor fuel that can power the mission long enough to reach its
destinations. An AI and hardware redundancy can take care of much of the
rest, although we would all be shocked if today a spacecraft were
launched that looked as obsolete as the original computer cores on the
Space Shuttle, which relied on magnetic donuts for logic processing. It
was an advance to go to taking a majority vote of 5 modern processors
instead, which provides protection against random events and failures.


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RegisteredDemocrat • 14 hours ago
Hopefully we will find intelligent civilization so we can tax them.

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GLD RegisteredDemocrat • 9 hours ago
Or if you are a Democrat, subjugate them by creation of constantly
increasing dependencies.


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Labor Tank • 14 hours ago
Be nice if we found a society that are true non-animals. Our simple use
of currency denotes as arcane animals that have zero cooth and less
foresight than a blind man in a cave. Our tribal power based system of
resource hoarding and societial manipulation could very well be turned
on its head if we find four-limbed walking humanoids with an answer to
the elimination of psychopaths that run everything and everyone and
instead have a bounty for all....its not as if there is not enough
already on Earth for every person alive to be provided property and a
home, food and education...its more that our tribal system of existence
concentrates those resources for the exclusive use of the few while the
rest of us, especially the western middle class, are actually satisfied
with work a day wages, cheap food, cheap car payments, the NFL(etc etc),
cheap 30 year mortgages all in support of the .05% of elietes to whom we
bow and serve as self-indentured slave population. Isn't life grand?

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peacenik • 14 hours ago
i like that description, very nebulous.

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olymoly Guest • 13 hours ago
Actually, 4 years 81 days.


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carbonUnit olymoly • 10 hours ago
(With the original comment deleted, this feels like Jeopardy.)
Actually, 4 years 81 days.
How long will the reply take to get back. (?)


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kwent86 carbonUnit • 10 minutes ago
what is...space?


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Stryke • 13 hours ago
Yet another hare-brained idea to obscenely squander taxpayer dollars and
deepen the national debt. All these ivory-tower scientists and their
useless pet projects -- it's nothing more than welfare for the
scientific community voting block.

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Darren Nicholls Stryke • 13 hours ago
You're absolutely right, because exploration never resulted in anything
good. (Cough) Columbus...

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Trav Kidd Darren Nicholls • 13 hours ago
Columbus raped and pillaged other cultures, and then left them decimated
with European diseases. He was was opportunist, not an explorer.

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Arthur Wilton Trav Kidd • 12 hours ago
Nevertheless, Columbus definitely benefited Spain. Hopefully, there will
be no helpless natives at Alpha Centauri to be taken unfair advantage of.

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Corleigh Lancor Trav Kidd • 12 hours ago
What do YOU call the very very first human explorers, who just after
jumping down from the trees, headed out of Kenya for other lands? We're
they not opportunists also? Isn't exploration by definition
opportunistic? You idiotically blame Columbus for doing exactly what YOU
would have done if you were in his shoes. If you were in our Kenyans
ancestors shoes. Do you not see all the fallacies to your little analysis?

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William Rodriguez Corleigh Lancor • 12 hours ago
What an assuming braindead comment.

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Corleigh Lancor William Rodriguez • 12 hours ago
You comment is absolutely meaningless. Wtf are you TRYING to say. My pov
is science - yours is simply ad hominen and shows your butthurt and
immaturity, if not also lack in forethought or intelligence. Speak to
points fool, make sense or go take a bath.

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William Rodriguez Corleigh Lancor • 4 hours ago
What a sick insulting piece of trash you are. You dont represent
science. Just an evil person who posts to attack.


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William Rodriguez Corleigh Lancor • 4 hours ago
Typical of the bots. Hiding.


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William Rodriguez Corleigh Lancor • 4 hours ago
Youll attack again. As that is who you are.


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taosword Corleigh Lancor • 11 hours ago
At this early stage of our moral and emotional development, we are not
ready to explore another world that may be populated with whatever kind
of life. We are still too aggressive, reactionary, jealous, competitive,
selfish, scared, ignorant, relatively unenlightened beings. We have and
have had teachers to help us see ourselves and work toward being more
able to relate to other with compassion love and empathy. Usually they
are either not recognized by very many people or they are killed.

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Corleigh Lancor taosword • 11 hours ago
Human will always carry self-preservation and exploration in its genes,
but if its deemed enlightened to "fix" this aspect of being a human, we
will have effectively and quite stupidly killed ourselves.
Self-preservation and exploration IS humanity, and presently both
constitute imperfect outcomes for all parties, certainly most often for
the least developed and that won't ever change (at least not without
self, tribal, and then all human immolation and extinction through "The
Change" of our biology, which is by definition the termination of
humanity). Will this new creation be deemed preferable to being human?
Probably, maybe. But in the meantime, do you want the weaker, less
intelligent creature to rule you? That's stupid, against First
Principal. So if self-preservation and exploration (in all of its forms)
is not hardwired into the new creature, it's certainly doomed too. This
is why I addressed Travs 10th grade virtue signalling comment. It's
tired and actually evil in terms of preservation to blame Columbus
without looking at yourself in the mirror. We all will always kill to
eat, explore in one way or a hundred different ways that will have
unintended outcomes.

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taosword Corleigh Lancor • 11 hours ago
Evolution can be affected, genes can be altered, the brain has
neuro-plasticity, so tell me how hard wired you really know we are. Will
always, and won't ever are alien to me.


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Corleigh Lancor taosword • 11 hours ago
Were on different levels, so I'll return to studies now. Thanks and goo
goo g'joob


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sandra Corleigh Lancor • 10 hours ago
Colonialism has a very different definition than exploring.
One is about ownership and the other is about observation.

Kenyans were trading with Arabs, Indians and Chinese in the 1st Century.
Kenyan civilization was well developed prior to European presence.
Colonialism started with Pope Nicholas V "Dum Diversas" which used
Catholicism to promote colonialism and slavery in the middle east,
India, China, Africa and the Americas.

Columbus like Magellan, Pizzaro, Cortes and many other Spanish and
Italian conquistadors all followed suit.


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Corleigh Lancor sandra • 10 hours ago
No no no. Slavery & killing & ownership started in Africa within days of
those people jumping from the trees. Once they got hungry or thirsty.
Instantly the stronger and smarter took over, but even if they abdicated
aggression -- they had to eat. They had to kill, explore, hunt. So they
would watch the weaker-dumber of their tribe and soon realized that he,
the smarter, less aggresive one, would soon be killed or starved by the
dumber weaker ones, and because he sees naturally (his empty belly
growls, he wants to enrich his family etc) that he must kill for himself
& family if he's to survive. And here soon packs & hierarchies quickly
develop, but theyre rarely ever cooperative, almost certainly never
pacifistic lol. That's ownership and recognition of intelligence. What
you're talking about may be historical but if it exemplifies anything,
it is human nature & biology (once again) that is in all of us starting
in Africa. Colonization, at least until about 300 years ago couldnt
really be decoupled from exploration and war between tribes. There was
more ignorance then, in both the colonizers AND colonized. Colonisation
is nothing more than jumping out of the trees and then exploiting
(hunting, fishing for Africans, hunting, fishing and agriculture for the
rest of us, as African peoples never planted), and marking territory
like the smartest and strongest did in those very very very first
tribes. When the first ancestors in Kenya marked territory, they were
colonizing. They were owning. Its natural to us because it was natural
for them first. Colonialism was first Tribalism! Where else but in our
biology would these traits be first & foremost able to dictate our
behavior? Thats where it started, really its all mostly a carry-over
from our first being animals who also "colonize" or pack, war, &
tribalize quite naturally. Colonialism started there because it's human
nature. Ownership and entitlement started on Day 3 in Kenya and its been
a part of us ever since. AND SO, slavery started there as well and we
KNOW this is FACT. And cannabalism. Everything. Then ownership and
slavery spread throughout and has been practiced by every single person
and tribe that's ever existed, before and after white genomes or
Catholicism ever evolved into being or appeared. You're talking 10th
grade social/political studies; I'm talking biology, first things first,
first principals first, human nature, prehistoric history, & hard
science! Do you not see this? It doesnt place blame on one without
finding its origin, which indicts all of us starting with the very very
very first humans in Kenya, and then through all indigenous peoples that
have ever lived. The Aztecs, Mayans and Incas were EQUALLY IF NOT MORE
COLONIAL AND WARLIKE and thousands and thousands of years before
Catholic Europeans ever colonized.Get to the R.O.O.T. of what
colonialism really is and means. If its ownership, that started on Day 3
for the first humans. See it's true origins, instead of buying into some
biased political tract. Discover for yourself that everything that is
manifest in us today was first conceived and actualized by our earliest,
original ancestors and in the animals they evolved from. There is little
blame, therefore, that even the best of us can escape, and that's
because were all the same
- were biology - but with some smarter than others, some talented in
other ways, some black, others white or brown. Evil" as first actualized
was simply a natural desire and act to survive. To put your family
first, or consider your family before you consider the other guy's. It
started the day we jumped out of the trees. And if we don't become
extinct soon, maybe there can be solutions in 250 yrs that don't have
built into them the very traits that have led all people's, tribes and
cultures to warring, killing, & enslaving. And if you want to do
something against slavery, instead of bitching about Columbus (like Trav
did), why dont you move to North Africa or any muslim country and
disrupt The Slave Markets there that sell slaves to and from Africa and
to/from the Muslim countries of the world.

see more
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Corleigh Lancor Corleigh Lancor • 10 hours ago
Catholicism can't be blamed any more than the animism or native
religions because we know for a FACT the earliest people's killed,
enslaved, robbed, raped, sacrificed and cannabalized each other. These
human behaviors of survival and hoarding etc and the early pagan or
superstitious religions started the moment man became realized in Kenya,
and not when some Pope got ugly. We are all ugly, but some of have tried
and partially succeeded in advancing good outcomes for more and more
people after admitting their mistakes. Presently slavery is still
practiced widely by the black african tribes/countries and in the Muslim
world. White societies ended slavery hundreds of years ago. Do you not
see this?

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Corleigh Lancor sandra • 8 hours ago
OBSERVATION?? Its impossible for any man or woman to just go to a new
land and just observe. And what would be the point of that? Its always
going to evolve into something, a give and take, at the very least. Its
impossible to observe without affecting them and yourself in any number
of ways and then something always happens. Exploration is never that
solemn or innocent. Observation always evolves into participation, then
ultimately colonization (in one form or another) and it always was and
probably always will be that way. I hope I'm wrong, that is, I hope we
can explore without hurting others or getting hurt ourselves.

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Corleigh Lancor Trav Kidd • 12 hours ago
Trav, grow up. Study. Think through the talking points, the leftist
education, so absent of common sense, but full of socialist,
anti-nativist half-truths and "virtue" systems/signalling that don't
start with self preservation (first principal) or deals at all with
basic human nature. The very very first explorers were our black
ancestors who raped and pillaged each other and then left Kenya for
lands that had never been exposed to the diseases they innocently
brought, and the antibodies they carried allowed them to "rape" the new
lands (of animals and new resources, if not other humans). Then in time
they were undoubtedly over run by new explorers in search for space,
food, freedom etc and they cycle began and ran anew. Blaming Columbus is
stupid, ignorant.

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William Rodriguez Corleigh Lancor • 12 hours ago
That would be you. Sir hypocrite.

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taosword Corleigh Lancor • 11 hours ago
And you know not what kind of potential human nature is capable of in
terms of what I have said in my other post here.


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Corleigh Lancor taosword • 11 hours ago
Ultimately, so far, there is no "relate" only survival. Relating doesnt
seem to bring about big, lasting peace. There is no greater imperative
than to eat, drink, sleep, dream, sex, explore, **** and breath. The
first black african explorers were just as "guilty" of living life
(exploring, eating, fighting, enslaving, colonizing, killing to eat /
survive etc) as was Columbus, as we are today, as will be our
descendents, unless & until we radically change our code and biology.
You don't see this? It's our extinction in either case probably, but
that's a long story wrong for this venue. Good hunting

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yokel1 Stryke • 13 hours ago
Quite a vision you have for humanity. Worship your dollars, I want my
grandkids to see whats out there.


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deathvalleyjoyride Stryke • 13 hours ago
Yet another hare-brained goober who thinks science is a waste of time
and money. If it weren't for science and scientists, you wouldn't have
an internet to bitch about it. Grow up and get out of the trailer,
Cleetus. The universe will leave people like you in the dust.


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William Rodriguez deathvalleyjoyride • 12 hours ago
The person never commented what you assume. You make a general
assumption about a specific. Saying more about your inability to
understand or grasp reality but easily text drivel.


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Corleigh Lancor William Rodriguez • 12 hours ago
U will be blocked forever you diktwit.


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cesium62 Corleigh Lancor • 6 hours ago
Project much?


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Paladin Stryke • 12 hours ago
We could fund it with the tax dollars we squander on illegals...

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Pat Stryke • 10 hours ago
This "obscene" amount of money is a pittance compared to what was just
given away to the elites by Donald Trump.


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manderso Stryke • 10 hours ago
Jeez, it's always a dumb foxie.


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Bill Gradwohl • 13 hours ago
NASA stopped being the cause for innovation decades ago. They are a
legacy part of the Fed Gov that simply exists to squander money on
ridiculous projects.
The US is deep in debt. Annual deficits are reaching into the trillion
dollar range. Common sense would indicate some belt tightening is in
order, but there is no common sense in the Fed Gov.
The brilliant engineers employed by NASA and its hanger on contractors
should be put to work strictly on solutions to real world problems. Let
private space industry soak up any engineering talent they may want and
let the remainder find employment where their talents can be used to
solve today's problems in a free market. Shut NASA down, as it's way
past its sell by date.

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NotJustMyself Bill Gradwohl • 12 hours ago
Your faith in the altruism of private industry is touching.

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Bill Gradwohl NotJustMyself • 12 hours ago
There is no altruism in private industry, nor should there be. Private
industry is there to provide a good or service at a profit. They succeed
or fail on their merits.
Gov't gets every cent it spends by theft (taxes) or fraud (central
banking) and therefore the less it attempts to do the better.


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mf2112 Bill Gradwohl • 11 hours ago
Perhaps you should move to that libertarian paradise Somalia.


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Bill Gradwohl mf2112 • 11 hours ago
That's only about the hundredth time I've heard that suggestion. It
shows a complete lack of understanding concerning libertarian ideals.
Maybe you should study the subject before you dismiss it. In short,
libertarian philosophy can be summed up as 'rules but no rulers'. Think
about it.

If there's an error in what I wrote, please correct me. If you have
something useful to add to the conversation, please reply.


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sandra Bill Gradwohl • 10 hours ago
True, Nasa's wheels were turning their best during the height of the
Cold War. The moon was the trophy but it was always about winning
against the Russians despite its innovative technology society has
benefited from.

Private industry seems to be the feasible way because it doesn't have
red tape or contractors to answer to for budgeting; Lockheed, Boeing etc....

Is it good.... we will see.

e have to pay commies to go up 200 miles.NASA has not have the right stuff since JFK was killed by Nixon,Annenberg,and Kissenger. To late to fight.TreBert

"reber G=EMC^2" wrote that "Herbert Glazier" has not
the right stuff, since
anagram to , whose
G=EMC^2 says loud and clear that:
"Glazier Exhibits Micro Cephalic Cretinism", which
seems to be the reason why Bert is a Face-****ter &
a criminal Graveyard Vandal, like-a-rat-with-no-place-to-turn"
with https://tinyurl.com/Glazier-s-sexual-harassments