Re: starship-design: going the slow way

["Kyle R. Mcallister" <stk@sunherald.infi.net>]

KellySt@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Very true.  Even a ship that takes a century to get somewhere is very likely
> to get their after the ships of their decendants from back home.

I agree. By the time the ship got there, after its cruise of several
centuries, it would likely have been outclassed by a new form of
vehicle. I read a book about something like this happening...the
inhabitants of a ship that took 500 years to get to some star (Beta
Canum Venaticorum?) arrived to find the star system inhabited...by
humans. Turned out the human race had figured out how to travel FTL
about 200 years after the generation ship was sent. Naturally, they (the
ones from the generation ship) were slightly pissed off... ;)

As it is, what we are dealing with now, fusion drives and laser sails,
may prove to be outclassed before they even were. Although I won't say
what it is, I and some collegues are working on something that, if
sucessful, might prove to be a much better form of starship propulsion.
An we are getting small, but very positive results.

Take care,
Kyle R. Mcallister