Chapter 1
The neighborhood is too big
Chapter 2
Einstein's absolute speed limit
Chapter 3
The ridiculous fuel bill of interstellar travel
Chapter 4
Space is actively trying to kill us
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why we might never leave our solar system
Ch 3 · The ridiculous fuel bill of interstellar travel
artiteacher Interstellar Rocket Fuel Limits
To reach the nearest star, we'd need more rocket fuel than the whole wide universe has mass!
artiteacher Launched in 2016, the initiative uses a 100-gigawatt laser array to send light-sail Starchips to Proxima Centauri in
artiteacher A theoretical starship powered by a glowing antimatter engine travels through deep space.
Fun Fact
Antimatter cost: Producing one single gram of antimatter would require the entire human race to work for millions of years.
Glossary
rocket equation (noun)
A mathematical equation that relates a spacecraft's change in velocity to its exhaust speed and mass. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky formulated this relationship in 1903, showing why chemical propulsion requires astronomical amounts of fuel.
A mathematical equation that relates a spacecraft's change in velocity to its exhaust speed and mass. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky formulated this relationship in 1903, showing why chemical propulsion requires astronomical amounts of fuel.
Quiz
Which project, launched in 2016, aims to send laser-propelled light sails to Proxima Centauri?
Quiz
What fuel source did the 1978 Project Daedalus study propose for its interstellar probe?