• Question: How long do you think it will be before humanity create a functioning Alcubierre Engine?

    Asked by ngovani1 to Graham, Luke, Maksim, Ruth on 20 Jun 2014.
    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 20 Jun 2014:

      My only comment on this question would be that I know Miguel Alcubierre proposed a device that causes the space in front of an object to contract, while the space behind it expands then in turn creating a warp bubble. in theory that could then carry the object through space/time at 10 times the speed of light.

      it has since been understood that this deformation of space-time is probably possible, but in this case there’s a huge step between theoretical and experimental possibility.

      thanks

      claire

    • Photo: Graham Wiggins

      Graham Wiggins answered on 20 Jun 2014:

      Hi,
      I don’t know is the quick answer. had to search on the web to find out how one is proposed to work.
      Probably after we’ve got the navigation + control systems to keep the spacecraft from bumping into Planets + stars or, worse yet, a Black Hole !
      So that would follow the deveolpment of an ion-engine’d spacecraft… at only 1x speed of light.

    • Photo: Luke Fry

      Luke Fry answered on 24 Jun 2014:

      I heard that this is actually being worked on by a small team at NASA (don’t quote me on the NASA part) Regardless…I think you are still looking at 100 years at least.

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