Last month, Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan unveiled his next science-fiction blockbuster.
Called
Interstellar, it envisages a future where travel to other stars is not
only a possibility but a necessity, and tasks actor Matthew McConaughey
with leading the main mission.
But
a Nasa scientist claims such a mission isn’t necessarily just something
reserved for science fiction - and has revealed a Star Trek-style ship
that could make interstellar travel a reality.
Pictured is an illustration of Dr White's IXS
Enterprise, an interstellar ship drawn by artist Mark Rademaker that
could be an accurate representation of what the first mission beyond the
solar system will look like. The IXS Enterprise is a theory-fitting
concept for a faster than light (FTL) ship
Dr Harold White is famous for suggesting that faster than light (FTL) travel is possible.
THE 100-YEAR STARSHIP PROJECT
The
100-year Starship Project is a joint endeavour run by Darpa, Nasa,
Icarus Interstellar and the Foundation for Enterprise Development.
Announced in January 2012, the project has an overall goal of achieving manned interstellar travel by 2112.
To do so it is evaluating a number of different techonolgies, including ‘warping’ space time to travel great distances in short time frames at faster-than-light speeds.
The project is also considering building ‘generation ships’ that move slowly but have a self-sustainable long-term population.
To date Nasa has contributed $100,000 (£60,000) to the project and Darpa $1 million (£600,000).
Announced in January 2012, the project has an overall goal of achieving manned interstellar travel by 2112.
To do so it is evaluating a number of different techonolgies, including ‘warping’ space time to travel great distances in short time frames at faster-than-light speeds.
The project is also considering building ‘generation ships’ that move slowly but have a self-sustainable long-term population.
To date Nasa has contributed $100,000 (£60,000) to the project and Darpa $1 million (£600,000).
Using
something known as an Alcubierre drive, named after a Mexican
theoretical physicist of the same name, Dr White said it is possible to
‘bend’ space-time, and cover large distances almost instantly.
This,
in essence, would allow a spaceship to travel almost anywhere in a tiny
fraction of the time it would take a conventional spacecraft.
The ship in Nolan’s Interstellar movie, as well as those in Star Trek, employ a warp engine.
And, in a series of new renders, Dr White reveals how a real spacecraft dubbed the IXS Enterprise could do the same thing.
The
images are based on the artist who created the original look for the
famous USS Enterprise ship from Star Trek - Matthew Jeffries.
To make the latest renders Dr White employed the help of artist Mark Rademaker and graphic designer Mike Okuda.
The ship has a number of features that make
interstellar travel possible. This includes the two rings surrounding
the central spacecraft - these are known as an Alcubierre drive and are
used to 'warp' space-time and travel many light years in a matter of
days
The engine for Dr White's ISX Enterprise is
based on something known as the Alcubierre drive. As shown in the
illustration above this stretches space-time in a wave that causes the
fabric of space-time ahead to contract while expanding the space behind,
theoretically allowing 'faster than light' travel
Although
the speed of light is seen as an absolute, Dr White was inspired by
Miguel Alcubierre, who postulated a theory that allowed for faster than
light travel but without contradicting Einstein.
Alcubierre's theory
was published in 1994 and involved enormous amounts of energy being
used to expand and contract space itself - thereby generating a 'warp
bubble' in which a spacecraft would travel.
Allowing space and time to act as the propellant by pulling the craft through the bubble would be like stepping on an escalator.
Despite
Dr Alcubierre stating his theory was simply conjecture, Dr White thinks
he and his team are edging towards making the realm of warp speed
attainable.
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