CubeSAT to Alpha Centauri?

[NASAFanboy]

Just a quick question.

If we took a small CubeSat, and somehow gave it enough power to sustain itself for 100 years, could be throw it onto an SLS rocket and send it to Alpha Centauri, just like that?

[Andon]

The problem here is keeping power for 100 years.

Not to mention a 100 year trip would STILL be going over 4% of the speed of light. Which is ridiculously fast.

[Guest Brody_Peffley]

The problem here is keeping power for 100 years.

Not to mention a 100 year trip would STILL be going over 4% of the speed of light. Which is ridiculously fast.

Its possible. Nasa is develping warp engines. Fusion engines to go 20% speed of light. Dude science goes riduclously fast. Satilites go even faster

[Kerbin Dallas Multipass]

Voyager 1 is currently 17 light-hours from earth. It was launched in 1977

Just to give you an idea of dimensions.

[Aghanim]

Well the problem is warp drives and fusion drive doesn't exist yet...

[Themohawkninja]

Its possible. Nasa is develping warp engines. Fusion engines to go 20% speed of light. Dude science goes riduclously fast. Satilites go even faster

You are using the term "developing" way too loosely, and probably incorrectly.

I think you mean to say "researching to see if we have the materials to do it".

[TheDarkStar]

You are using the term "developing" way too loosely, and probably incorrectly.

I think you mean to say "researching to see if we have the materials to do it".

I think you mean to say "researching to see if it's possible to make the materials to do it."

[Klingon Admiral]

I think you all mean to say "researching to see if the materials to do it and the concept of the engines do not violate any laws of physics we haven't established yet."

[TheDarkStar]

I think you all mean to say "researching to see if the materials to do it and the concept of the engines do not violate any laws of physics we haven't established yet."

That too .

[Andon]

Getting to 0.04c is possible with current technology (Hell, I'd bet that you could get something up to .9c with modern materials, but cost would be *puts on sunglasses* Astronomical), it's just incredibly difficult. By the time you made something capable of maintaining power and accelerating (Never mind decelerating!), it certainly wouldn't be a cubesat anymore.

[dharak1]

One SLS launch for a cubesat would probably not be worth the gain from waiting 20 or 30 years until we find a bit cheaper of a way to get to another star.

[Nibb31]

There isn't anything useful you could put on a cube sat. You couldn't put enough batteries or even an antenna big enough to stay in contact with Earth.

[Ralathon]

Getting to 0.04c is possible with current technology (Hell, I'd bet that you could get something up to .9c with modern materials, but cost would be *puts on sunglasses* Astronomical), it's just incredibly difficult. By the time you made something capable of maintaining power and accelerating (Never mind decelerating!), it certainly wouldn't be a cubesat anymore.

No it isn't. The problem lies with the required reaction mass.

Lets say you try to accelerate 1 gram to 0.04c. You have the entire earth as reaction mass.

0.04c = Isp*g*ln(M(earth)/0.001)

Isp = 0.04c/(9.81*ln(6e24/0.001)) = about 20k

That's the specific impulse of our best ion engines. If you take into account that the ion engine and the tanks need to be included in the payload mass, that you need to generate power for the ion drive and the actual scientific instruments you probably need the entire solar system in terms of reaction mass to accelerate something to 0.04c with current tech. Not really feasible with current tech.

[nhnifong]

To re-phrase the question, how fast could SLS eject one cube sat from the solar system? well, the SLS is designed to put larger payloads in orbit. so, you would put a cube sat an extra stage or two of rockets up there as a payload. What you used for propulsion in that final stage would make the difference between ejecting at 10 km/s vs 40 km/s

[bsalis]

By the time CubeSat arrives, we will probably already be there using more advanced technology. That or humanity will be extinct, or both.

[magnemoe]

If you used an very light cubesat, an huge solar sail and a array of gigantic lasers its plausible.

[crazyewok]

Just a quick question.

If we took a small CubeSat, and somehow gave it enough power to sustain itself for 100 years, could be throw it onto an SLS rocket and send it to Alpha Centauri, just like that?

SLS takeing 100 years? Your kiddng right?. Your probably talking 100,000 years!

Sorry but if you want to move intersteller distances in that time frame with current tec then nuclear pulse is the only way. Fusion pulse may be a "near" possibility too. But forget it with chems.

[crazyewok]

No it isn't. The problem lies with the required reaction mass.

Lets say you try to accelerate 1 gram to 0.04c. You have the entire earth as reaction mass.

0.04c = Isp*g*ln(M(earth)/0.001)

Isp = 0.04c/(9.81*ln(6e24/0.001)) = about 20k

That's the specific impulse of our best ion engines. If you take into account that the ion engine and the tanks need to be included in the payload mass, that you need to generate power for the ion drive and the actual scientific instruments you probably need the entire solar system in terms of reaction mass to accelerate something to 0.04c with current tech. Not really feasible with current tech.

Wasnt Nuclear pulse rated at 3-10% ?

If so its possible with current tec.

Just not politicaly correct.

[Ralathon]

Wasnt Nuclear pulse rated at 3-10% ?

If so its possible with current tec.

Just not politicaly correct.

Do you see any nuclear pulse powered craft lying around? Either decommissioned or working? No? Well then, seems it isn't current tech.

Admittedly, we could probably build one within 2 decades if we really wanted to, making it much closer than other proposals for interstellar drives. But it is by no means shelf ready.

[Skyler4856]

*Cough* Daedalus *Cough*

[lajoswinkler]

Its possible. Nasa is develping warp engines. Fusion engines to go 20% speed of light. Dude science goes riduclously fast. Satilites go even faster

No, they're not. Star Trek is science fiction, not a documentary.

[crazyewok]

Do you see any nuclear pulse powered craft lying around? Either decommissioned or working? No? Well then, seems it isn't current tech.

No but the idea is considered sound and workable and we have had the means to make one since the 60's so no its no immediately available but it does rely on current tec.

Admittedly, we could probably build one within 2 decades if we really wanted to, making it much closer than other proposals for interstellar drives. But it is by no means shelf ready.

That's my point. No its not off the shelve but its the only thing we have that has any sort of near term practicality that we can use for a interstellar mission. Fact is its doable, unlike anti matter and warp drives that are far beyond our energy mean.

[Ralathon]

*Cough* Daedalus *Cough*

I didn't know a feasibility study equals a flight proven prototype nowadays! I must tell the guys at NASA, we should terraform Mars next week!

[crazyewok]

*Cough* Daedalus *Cough*

Yup, again its relies on the principles of Nuclear pulse though fusion not fission.

Though as far as im aware laser ignited fusion pulse hasnt been shown to work YET. You can create plamsa but I dont thinks they have managed to ignite a real fusion reaction on the scale of a H bomb.

[crazyewok]

I didn't know a feasibility study equals a flight proven prototype nowadays! I must tell the guys at NASA, we should terraform Mars next week!

No but its a route worth looking at and researching.

We need something better than what we are currently useing.

What we have now in chem rocket is like a raft with a paddle on a huge ocean. Its not really practical or useful except for floating about on the beach.

Edited January 21, 2014 by crazyewok