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Re: Speculation Re Planet Orbiting Alpha Centauri 1

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Posted by Paolo Ballarini/">Paolo Ballarini on August 25, 1999 13:30:02 UTC

: : : : : There is a possible way that alien life can be found on Alpha Centauri : : : Do you believe this is so?Why or why not?

: : I believe with the distance separating the solar system and Alpha Centauri, any manned flights would take 300,000 years and therefore discovery would be pointless considering no contact could be made excpet by radio, microwave and infrared signals. With programs like SETI currently researching the closest 19 stars, Alpha Centauri will have been checked several dozen times already. Yes, there could be a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, but what impact would that have on mankind?

: This is assuming technology doesn't evolve at all. Technology evolves so rapidly that noone can predict what kind of spaceships we may have in 100 years or even less.

The technology to make that is here and is cheap and simple.

See: http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/prop19aug99_1.htm

This is a very serious resarch. I asked Dr. Winglee if M2P2 can be used as a brake and he said: "Yes, there is potential for breaking but is depends on the power supply"

So, if M2P2 works (and Nasa thinks so), you can build an unmaned spacecraft with a small nuclear power supply (like Cassini, this is not SF). Then you'll use solar wind to accellerate. Solar Wind is fast: 400-1000 km per sec. So it's not impossible to reach a speed about 1% of the speed of light. Then you'll use M2P2 as a brake near Alpha Centaury. Duration of the trip: 3-400 yrs only. Ok, this is a lot, but is better than 300.000

Suppose you can use a microwawe or particle beam to boost the spacecraft and M2P2 as stellar brake.

Are you really sure the youngest of us will not see nice close ups of an Alpha Centauri planet, a day??

  • This is the article on Nasa Space Scienze News about M2P2

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