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ferrel_hadley t1_j5ojihs wrote

The best depiction of futuristic space travel would be something like The Expanse that shows a drive that allows huge acceleration for long periods. The problem is there is no real mechanism for it in theory yet. The best theoretical drives we can envisage is something like Project Daedalus that used a steady pulse of small nuclear explosions. The most realistic non rocket system would be nuclear.

So we do not have a physical theory as to how to travel like light Sci fi shows.

But its like asking people who travelled in carriages about what flying would be like. They might come up with winged horses rather than the simple idea like a turbine jet engine.

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Bubbagumpredditor t1_j5oozf0 wrote

It's not even huge acceleration, even minor acceleration gets you places relatively quick. I mean, mars is like 2 days away at one gee acceleration, and I think Pluto is two weeks.

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spacex_fanny t1_j5ovv0g wrote

Pretty much. The Earth-Mars transit would be 2-5 days, depends on planetary alignment, and also how close your ship can get to the Sun without overheating.

For Pluto it's about 18 days.

The simplified equation to calculate travel time is 2 × sqrt(distance / acceleration)

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Redditdrifter0 t1_j5ozfmx wrote

Dude that’s accelerating 22 mph every second until you get there…

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spacex_fanny t1_j5p0xx5 wrote

"You are technically correct, the best kind of correct."

Some may call it 'decelerating' for the second half, but in physics this also counts as accelerating (just in the opposite direction).

22 mph = 35 kph = 9.8 m/s = 33 ft/s

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Redditdrifter0 t1_j5p2w95 wrote

Yah but by the last second before deceleration on the first day wouldn’t you have to be traveling close to 2 million miles per hour? How’s that remotely feasible?

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spacex_fanny t1_j5p465b wrote

Yes, going ~850 km/s is not feasible today because we don't have torch drives like in The Expanse.

Torch drive / torchship is the generic term for the idea, an idea which has been used in various works of sci-fi. See more:

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/torchships.php

https://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/4df241e826b03

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asupposeawould t1_j5oyw4h wrote

I read somewhere that even if we did have the potential to go really really fast like warp drive speed stopping would take years or if we were able to stop somewhat instantly the amount of force would destroy anything in front of us so if we just happened to stop Infront of earth it would be destroyed lol

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