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A brief explanation of Stephen Hawkins theory of planetary colonization |
HUMANS COLONIZING OTHER PLANETS? A giant asteroid hits the earth and our only hope for mankind is to leave earth and inhabit another planet is it possible? Conventional fuel rockets like the one that took man to the moon would take 50,000 years to make a journey to the nearest star. Stephen Hawkins a renowned cosmologist said in a brief interview, that theoretical advances could revolutionize the way we travel in space, and make colonization of other planets possible. Hawkins suggested propulsion like that used in the fictional starship Enterprise could be used to make that journey possible. “Science fiction has developed the idea of a wrap drive to take a space craft instantly to your destination”. But that is not possible, it violates scientific law that nothing can travel faster that the speed of light. But by using “matter/antimatter” propulsion system, velocities just under the speed of light can be reached; making it only six years to the nearest star says Hawkins. But who will go to these space settlements will it be ordinary people? At this present time only highly trained and selected astronauts go to space and to be able to launch millions of people into orbit seems impossible and can’t be done inexpensively. But just think a hundred fifty years ago their were no airplanes, now 500 million people fly each year. It is also believed that it is expected that the vast majority of space colonists will be ordinary people. Based on materials available a human population in orbit could exceed ten trillion living in space colonies on planets and in orbit around planets. But when will man be able to colonize other planets? No one is currently building a space settlement today so we will have to wait awhile, but it is reasonable to expect the first orbital colony in about fifty years, according to predictions made by Burt Rutan. He also said that with in five years 3000 space tourists will travel into space and in 25 years space tourism will be affordable to the general public. So were not that far off for you and I to visit space, just imagine it’s like stat trek becoming a reality. |