Questions tagged [space-travel]
For questions about the process of traveling through space, including in orbit around a planet or moon. Consider also [spaceships]. See also the tag information (click "info") for more details on when this tag applies.
946
questions
28
votes
15
answers
8k
views
How to effectively and realistically blockade a star system?
Many Scify movies, games, and books depict massive space fleets blockading entire star systems during times of war. This is always depicted as forming a straight line across traveled space. While this ...
- 11.9k
2
votes
2
answers
603
views
Relativity in regard to space combat
How would relativity affect space combat? I'm wondering how it would work at all. If everyone is moving at different speeds, then they're experiencing time differently, and maybe seeing ships where ...
- 2,203
5
votes
5
answers
382
views
Gravity solutions on space vessel
I first was thinking centripetal force on a circular ship, but performing external maintenance would be extremely difficult due to the force pushing the person or robot off.
Would a spherical vessel ...
- 51
5
votes
4
answers
360
views
What properties would make a plant ideal for use on a space ship?
What properties of a species of plant would make it the ideal choice for taking it on a year-long trip through space as both an oxygen source and food source?
We should assume that the amount of ...
- 48.3k
3
votes
2
answers
269
views
How would interplanetary transits take place with a "space compressing" system?
I have a fictional technology in my world that involves being able to create "tubes of compressed space" -- essentially, you have two stations and a (straight or curved) line of space between them ...
user6383
13
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Mars as "Earth sister"
Lets pretend that Mars was a bit larger, so the gravity could hold on to the water and possible atmosphere, and then play along with the accidents that happened on earth happened at a similar tact.
...
- 5,672
8
votes
9
answers
1k
views
The new Space Race - Racing!
Pretty much every vehicle ever invented has been used for racing on at some point, so it seems likely that people would want to do the same in space.
However in space it doesn't really work the same ...
- 77k
19
votes
10
answers
5k
views
How could we do steampunk space travel, with minimal magic?
Steampunk!!
In a world without the fine electronics that we have today, would space travel be possible?
....I'm not averse to small amounts of magic in my steampunk worlds, but I'd like to keep it ...
- 2,831
27
votes
5
answers
5k
views
How long before we're stuck on Earth due to Space Debris? (Kessler syndrome)
Every time a rocket is launched into space, debris accumulates. Every time an old satellite runs out of juice, it goes derelict and turns into more junk. Over the years, paint-chips, broken off solar ...
- 59.9k
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Getting a manned ship into space without being detected
In the story idea I'm working on, I'm using the polandball/polish space marines meme as a starting point for the titular space-faring organization. In the story, the meme exists as a way to cast doubt ...
- 113
29
votes
15
answers
6k
views
Could a civilisation exist as 'space-nomads'?
In a civilisation similar to humans (although not necessarily humanoid) living on a planet the size of Earth, could the whole civilisation (no limits on size, although I was thinking a few thousand at ...
- 1,124
1
vote
1
answer
490
views
When can we apply FTL technology [closed]
NASA is currently speculating about faster than light technology. When will we be able to apply said technology to our vessels?
"Warp Drives", "Hyperspace Drives", or any other term for Faster-than-...
- 661
7
votes
7
answers
2k
views
Can this version of the Alderson Drive be used to violate causality?
I'm working on a simulator-type game which I want to be at least internally consistent, and which I'd like to work as close to reality as possible. That being said, it's set in space, which means to ...
- 2,074
13
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How to get across the galaxy moving slower than light - in a single lifetime?
All the recent talk on Worldbuilding about the vast energies available to higher-level Kardashev civilizations, the need for 50,000 year message-systems, and so on, got me thinking. With enough energy,...
- 59.9k
2
votes
4
answers
856
views
What would happen if you attach 2 huge ion engines on the north and south side of planet earth?
I was wondering what would happen if you attach 2 Huge ion engines(I mean really really really huge) to planet earth.
They should be attached on the north and south poles.
Are 2 huge ion engines ...
- 661
15
votes
7
answers
3k
views
An interplanetary coordinate system
On earth, we use a simple but effective coordinate system which determines position unambiguously on the surface (GPS achieving accuracy within 1 meter, which speaking as an engineer, is a remarkable ...
- 4,310
16
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Energy source for a generation ship
A generation ship was sent out a long time ago, to colonize a far away planet. However the ship failed to reach its goal due to navigational issues (which also means they didn't have any clue where in ...
- 31.4k
6
votes
7
answers
2k
views
Why would an alien leave a teaching device on Earth in a no-faster-than-light-travel setting? [closed]
Premise: An alien visits Earth for a short time during the middle ages, leaving behind a device which contains a vast body of scientific knowledge. The device is locked so that it can't be opened ...
- 69.1k
1
vote
9
answers
1k
views
Breathe in space, with or without a suit?
I've been wracking my brain about a world I'm writing in, how to make some group of regular people able to survive in space for extended periods with or without a suit. I can reduce the amount of time ...
- 329
23
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Making the First contact
Visiting the Worldbuilding site plays with my creativity and imagination. So I am going to describe the dream I had:
I am member of a different (alien) culture, from a different star system. Also, I ...
- 45.2k
7
votes
1
answer
935
views
Is the Alcubierre Drive relatively free from relativistic collisions?
Related to the this question about not going SPLAT. That one was for conventional travel through space at high speeds.
Now I want to know about how things would work with an Alcubierre drive. I'm ...
- 49.1k
7
votes
4
answers
245
views
Locations for space centres
The basic question is:
When is a location good enough to build a space centre on it?
Some info to the function of the space-centre:
The space centre has a lot of traffic, also humans. I imagine it ...
- 1,614
21
votes
2
answers
893
views
Traffic in Space (a traffic controller for low earth orbit)
In a future where space travel is common, how would access to space be regulated?
From what I know, currently the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) assigns slots for geostationary ...
- 11.9k
29
votes
13
answers
14k
views
How to avoid objects when traveling at greater than .75 light speed. or How Not to Go SPLAT?
After asking my question about seeing black holes in your path between the stars, I also wondered abut other more mundane objects. Black holes affect large areas of space so even if you didn't get '...
- 49.1k
38
votes
11
answers
12k
views
How would two ships travelling at light speed communicate with one another?
Supposed we have a ship travelling at the speed of light, or very close to it, or over.
A second ship is travelling behind it at the same speed.
The second ship wishes to communicate something to ...
- 1,428
8
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Can we identify black holes in our path flying between the stars?
When traveling at fast speeds through the galaxy, would it be possible to identify where all the black holes were on your path? I know most black holes are identified by their affect on other nearby ...
- 49.1k
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Travelling through space around Worlds inside Nebulas
I am building a habitable, Earth like planet, but instead of it being in a solar system, it is inside a Nebula.
The actual composition of the Nebula is uncertain at this point, but I am considering ...
- 6,051
23
votes
10
answers
4k
views
Motivations for interstellar colonizations
Question is ultimately asking why would we do this? A few parameters first...
Technological:
Our current knowledge of physics is correct and there is no such thing as faster than light travel, nor ...
- 24.2k
22
votes
15
answers
4k
views
How can a spaceship unknowingly interfere with tides on a planet?
I've asked before about my polytheists with competing moon gods. I now have a better understanding of how tides -- a very visible manifestation of lunar influence -- work with multiple moons (thanks),...
- 19.5k
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can a spaceship traveling close to light speed be knocked off course by a gamma ray burst?
This was spawned from this question about Blueshifting (BS) when traveling near the speed of light.
I had found this while learning about the other question.
@99.99995 percent c
And ...
- 49.1k
12
votes
2
answers
818
views
Being cooked for dinner! or What Danger of Blueshifting EM into X-rays and beyond?
When doing some research for some of the resent questions proposed, I ran across an article that pointed out a danger of traveling at extreme speeds in normal space as a high percentage of c I was ...
- 49.1k
6
votes
2
answers
783
views
Sovereignty and interstellar travels
Let’s consider the typical setting of 20th-century science fiction writers, both Western and Communist. Namely:
Transportation within planets is cheap, quick, and is not significantly restricted;
...
- 208
4
votes
4
answers
573
views
How young can astronauts realistically be in the 2040-2050's? [closed]
With the return of space odysseys and a boom for space studies, could future astronauts be taught since primary school and therefore be sent to space in their late teens (after one ultra last ...
- 51
29
votes
8
answers
5k
views
How close to interstellar space travel could humans get in the near future?
I had in mind a sci-fi setting where humans have begun terraforming nearby planets without the benefit of faster-than-light travel. For example, Wikipedia lists a handful of terrestrial planets within ...
- 513
19
votes
7
answers
4k
views
Could an aquatic civilization discover space travel?
Building from this and this, given an aquatic civilization somehow manages to forge tools and build computers, could it build space-faring devices?
Also another development that would come earlier (...
- 323
20
votes
7
answers
1k
views
Occultic FTL Drive
In a hypothetical futuristic society that blends arcane magic with science, humanity has spread across the galaxy. FTL drives exist, but they are relatively slow and must exit at the outer edge of a ...
- 6,026
17
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Can we breathe the moon's crust?
According to this answer to what the moon is made of, the moon's crust is, among other things, 43% oxygen.
Assuming we were to go back to the moon within the next couple of years with the goal of ...
- 8,485
8
votes
3
answers
993
views
Could a civilization invent space-faring technology on planet that mostly lacks any kind of metals?
Imagine a species that evolved on a planet where there was no metal (or not much) of any kind.
They, of course, discovered fire and were able to start building buildings and basic machinery from ...
- 183
11
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What if time travel had to take into account spatial distance?
In this setting, humanity has advanced to the technological capability of extra stellar travel via faster-than-light drives. However, due to distances between inhabited areas being extremely large, ...
- 333
14
votes
7
answers
2k
views
What is the likelihood that inhabitants of an alien planet similar to Earth geologically would have races?
First off, let's get definitions out of the way:
A "race" here is defined as stable, heritable, phenotypic, clearly visual distinction between large demographic groups living in different geographic ...
- 4,717
22
votes
30
answers
6k
views
Could a civilization achieve spaceflight without inventing advanced weaponry along the way?
The question is fairly simple. Could a civilization progress so far as to have spaceships while still using swords, spears, and bows as their most advanced weaponry? (what those weapons are made of ...
- 6,026
29
votes
12
answers
7k
views
Is there any way to truly hide a spaceship?
Space is two things: empty and (mostly) dark. This makes it really, really hard to hide in it, because to do anything in it, chances are, you'll be shining a big bright light through it.
Even if you'...
- 3,342
21
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How could combat involving Alcubierre-drive starships occur?
In a setting with Alcubierre-drive starships (as per my answer here), it is inevitable that once the technology becomes common enough and enough different polities and organizations have such ships, ...
- 56k
23
votes
8
answers
4k
views
What would an external observer see when passed by an Alcubierre drive ship?
My answer to the question Is there a scientifically sound faster-than-light travel system for a spaceship? involved an Alcubierre-drive starship.
However, that then got me thinking. What would an ...
- 56k
15
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Asteroid as a generation ship
I was wondering if it would make sense to hollow out an asteroid to use for a generation ship? Also, might it be a good idea to use hollow asteroids for any kind of long distance space ship? I'm ...
- 49.1k
52
votes
17
answers
4k
views
What would be the most effective way of keeping a psychopath with a spaceship from wreaking severe havoc in a suicide crash?
Any spaceship over several hundred tons is an extremely dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, particularly if it's intended for reentry. Made mostly of metal and possibly shaped to be able to breach ...
- 3,342