KING%KESTREL@sri-unix.UUCP (01/03/84)
From: Richard M. King <KING@KESTREL>
One advantage of using electronic storage of genetic information is
that cruder and faster means of transportation can be used, but there is
another side of the coin. {\it slower} means of transportation can be
selected.
The speed of light is approximately 3*10^5 KPS. If we select a
speed of 10^-5C or 3KPS, readily achievable with a Jupiter flyby, we can go
one light year in 10^5 years (obviously), reaching several interesting stars
in less than a million years. When we get where we're going we can use a
capture manouver to stop without wasting fuel (which would probably "go bad"
by the time we got there). Ion rockets could be used for fine control to
achieve capture; frozen mercury would probably "keep" that long. In flight
power requirements, which would be quite modest, could be supplied by
slow-decaying isotopes. The larger amounts of power that would be needed
after capture could be supplied by a nuclear reactor that would be started
upon arrival. I don't know, but I suspect that solid diffusion would be
minimal at the low temperatures of interstellar space, so the electronics
should still (again?) work. (Maybe we should send vacuum tubes?)
It seems clear to me that there is {\it already} technology at hand
to send a shuttle-payload-size package on such a journey; we should probably
send a modified shuttle and solve the problem of landing! (I wonder how the
tiles would survive a million years in space? I suppose the thing should be
surrounded by an inch of foam rubber.) Using SRB's and SSME's to get off
the ground, opening the payload bay to get sunlight to run an ion rocket to
get to the moon's orbit, using the moon to get to Venus's orbit, and then
swinging by Jupiter for speed and Saturn for aiming would have us on our
way. Close the cargo bay doors (they'll never work when they get there, but
they shouldn't need to) and we're on our way!
When it gets there it lowers skids and lands. Another alternative
is to land on water. Fill the machine with Styrofoam and it should be
possible to "land" on water quite safely.
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