NASA has awarded a large grant to build a model propulsion system that will reach interstellar space 7 times faster than Voyager 1.
ScienceAlert writes that flying to the outer planets of the solar system will be possible in just 1 year, according to Arthur Davoyan of the University of California, Los Angeles, author of the new propulsion system concept.
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The Voyager 1 spacecraft left the solar system in 2012 at a distance of 122 astronomical units from the Sun. To do this, he had to fly in space for 35 years. However, Artur Davoyan, the author of the new propulsion system concept, believes that a 1 tonne spacecraft or spacecraft can cover this distance in less than 5 years.
For example, Neptune, the farthest planet from the Sun, is about 30 astronomical units away, and scientists believe that in this way, the outer planets can be reached in just 1 year.
So far, this is just a theory and the idea itself is only presented in diagrams and tables submitted to NASA for consideration. However, the space agency was interested in the new project and allocated a grant of 175 thousand dollars to create a detailed simulation of the new propulsion system. The grant funds the initial development phase and if the results are good then it will likely be about building a prototype and NASA will dedicate even more money.
No rocket engine will now allow astronauts to fly into interstellar space during a human lifetime. Not to mention reaching for the nearest stars. But modern spacecraft can do it.
According to Davoyan, we need to start with a propulsion system that can help a 1-ton device reach the edge of the solar system in 5 years. And the next step will be to develop a more powerful propulsion system that will allow the manned spacecraft to travel much faster.
According to the project, another spacecraft is needed to help the spacecraft exit the solar system to bring the new idea of fast travel through space to life. The second device will be in near-Earth orbit.
The idea is for the orbiter to “fire” a beam of tiny microscopic particles at the interstellar spacecraft, which will heat this laser beam. These particles will fly through space at 120 km/s and push the “sail” of the interstellar spacecraft, or these particles will be pushed by a special magnet inside. In any case, a powerful stream of particles will allow the device to develop tremendous speed and reach the limits of the solar system in less than 5 years.
As mentioned above, it is necessary to overcome a distance of more than 120 astronomical units, and such a unit is 150 million km. The diameter of the earth is only 12,700 km. So you can guess how big this distance is.
In terms of space travel, a recent study suggests that alien microorganisms can travel from planet to planet throughout the galaxy. And according to scientists, signs of extraterrestrial life can be found on Earth, as I wrote earlier. Focus.
Moreover Focus He wrote that the third attempt to send the world’s first 3D-printed rocket into space failed again. Although the developers were happy that the rocket took off from the ground, although it did not enter orbit.
Source: Focus
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