Page 236. POSTED ON MARCH 21, 2012
Project Bussard — Exploring the Ramjet
Jun 13, 2024
Robert Bussard first wrote up the Interstellar Ramjet in 1960–52 years ago now. Scooping up one’s fuel whilst en route makes possible high levels of time-compression thanks to relativity.
The typical flightpath would be roughly as follows…
Taking 10 years to Alpha Centauri and about 100 years to reach 40 light-years. “Fast” but not as fast as it might get, with continuous boosting. One problem with extreme relativistic travel is the dust and gas between the stars becomes a lethal energy shower. Protection becomes the big question above about 0.6–0.8 c.
