Problems with Space Travel

There atomic number 18 a couple of problems arising from fashioning interstellar infinite voyages. Two main problems atomic number 18 time and fuel energy required. Scientists still do not recall that space exit beyond Solar System is a corporal possibility even by utilise postful actuation systems interchangeable nuclear fission rockets. In addition there is Einsteins speculation of relativity and impression of relative time.The former says that to attain the renovate of light, the highest move limit in spirit, the mass has to increase to infinity thus making the energy leaseed for this acceleration also to be infinite. composition the concept of relative time states that if nonpareil travels faster, time travels slower, and theoretically when an object attains the speed of light the time stops completely. With the existence of these problems, the space travel to farther intimately away galaxies still seems a sci-fi concept (Ratliff, Kimball & Heraty n.d.)Propu lsion Theories Antimatter propulsionWhile the relative-time issue still remains a problem, scientists tolerate proposed many solutions to curb the problem of speed by suggesting alternative propulsion ideas. While slightly of the scientists focus on bettering the put forward chemical propulsion systems by introducing new(a) techniques, some others have proposed an alternative to replace chemical propellant by antimatter (Ratliff, Kimball & Heraty n.d.)Theoretically every mite has its corresponding antiparticle, identical in nature but opposed in charge. When these oppositely charged particles combine they are converted into combination energy and other particle, the process is known as annihilation. Scientists are currently doing samples to utilize this energy as a power source for spacecrafts.There are several methods to do this. One of them follows the principles of fission reactor and a steam engine. This method would provide twice of the present impulse to spacecrafts. A more complicated method used charismatic coils to direct the by-products of annihilation to provide the thrust, which would give an impulse of 10,000,000 zillion seconds but the thrust would be lower (Ratliff, Kimball & Heraty n.d.)While the method is very efficient, the main limitation of using the antimatter in the propulsion system is its price one mg of antimatter may cost nearly one hundred one thousand thousand dollars to receive. This is the major difficulty in the implementation of antimatter propulsion technology. (Ratliff, Kimball & Heraty n.d.)Research and Experiments many an(prenominal) experiments have been going on for making the propulsion scheme using Antimatter, to be more specific antiprotons, feasible in near future.Antimatter is generated in a handful of laboratories around the world. The laboratories in America include facilities such(prenominal) as Brookhaven field of study Laboratory in New York and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois. The se laboratories produce antimatter by accelerating subatomic particles like protons near the speed of lights and then hit them against other target particles. The most famous of these laboratories is at CERN in Geneva. In fact the first antimatter particle was produced by a scientist names Carl Anderson in the year 1932 (Forward Blase 1997)The Antimatter particles are difficult to produce because of their inherent nature. The process of annihilation consists of making a contact between particles of antimatter with particles of matter. When this happens both are annihilated and energy is created. However, the synthesized antiatoms have lasted only 40 billionths of a second before their annihilation.The simplest antimatter atom to produce was Antihydrogen. This too took billion of dollars and decades of research. Even CERN, considered to be the most advanced laboratory, where this experiment was performed, agrees that the present method is far too expensive and that newer, faster and cheaper methods need to be researched or increasing the mathematical product of antimatter (Book Rags)The current worldwide, annual production of antimatter is only two billionths of a gram. Unless this number is increased multifold to the order of milligrams the use of antimatter in space propulsion is not a viable option. This is because at least several milligrams of antimatter is needed to fuel a beam nerve center antimatter engine in local operations and several kilograms for interstellar travel to Alpha Centuri (Persson 2007).ConclusionNASA has made an approximation that the requirements for antimatter are on the outperform of 1 to 100 micrograms per mission, which with the current infrastructure equates to an antiproton cost of $60 billion to $6 billion. (Schmidt Gerrish Martin n.d). However they also speculate that with the many research projects think on the reduction of costs, the cost per mission could drop to $60 million per mission, or even lesser possibly less. A t this rate the antimatter propulsion might become a feasible option for the future space voyages.ReferencesBook Rags, Antimatter Propulsion,http//www.bookrags.com/research/antimatter-propulsion-spsc-04/Forward R L, Blas WP, Advanced put Propulsion Study Antiproton and BeamedPower Propulsion, 1997, http//www.transorbital.net/Library/D001_S01.htmlLeonard D, Looking to Lasers, Microwaves and Antimatter for place travel, 26thNovember 2003, Tech Wednesday, http//www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/fof_physics_031126-1.htmlPersson J, Antimatter Propulsion-Future Space Propulsion Systems, 2007,http//www.thespacesite.com/space_antimatter_propulsion.htmlRatliff S, Kimball K, Heraty G, The travel rapidly of light How faster can we go,http//www.cem.msu.edu/cem181h/projects/98/lightspeed/group.htmTheories%20PropulsionSchmidt G R, Gerrish HP, Martin JJ, metalworker GA, Meyer K J, Antimatter Production forNear-term Propulsion Applications, NASAhttp//www.engr.psu.edu/antimatter/Papers /NASA_anti.pdf