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TheKingPotat t1_jd6vwua wrote

Reply to comment by SeventySoyer in A New Mission Will Search for Habitable Planets at Alpha Centauri by Aeromarine_eng

Fusion wouldn’t give us faster speeds. Only a new energy source

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Turingading t1_jd7lt9p wrote

Being able to accelerate at 1G for a greater period of time is everything.

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halfanothersdozen t1_jd7ogyc wrote

Fusion wouldn't help you do that directly

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Turingading t1_jd7vhy7 wrote

The energy density will go a long way, especially without an extraterrestrial fuel source for propulsion.

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UnknownStrikex t1_jd81m68 wrote

Our current spacecraft would take tens of thousands of years to reach Alpha Centauri. Spacecraft that are powered by nuclear fusion would be capable of reaching 0.04-0.12c, greatly reducing the travel time to <100 years, thus making such an interstellar mission far more achievable.

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