Mediator92
2286
55
3
Sorry about the cropping and quality, this is my first post but I just had to share this! Back in 2011, NASA published a paper describing some work being done on an improved version of a kind of warp drive concept that manipulates space around the ship to allow it to move faster than the speed of light (link: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110015936.pdf ). It basically revolves around those big rings generating a negative pressure field (like that found between 2 very close objects while in a vacuum, if I understood correctly) around the ship, while distorting space such that the ship can flow through it with theoretically no speed limit.
Back in November, the main man behind the new work gave a lecture on it, and it really started hitting the news over the past few days after some CGI artwork (like the above) was drawn up that caught the media's attention. The link to his presentation is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M8yht_ofHc
I don't know about you guys, but the science and math behind it seems sound to me, and given the "non-negative" test results, I think we could actually make the Kessel run in our lifetime! What do you think?
kentucklz
If you were born in 2114 this *might* be possible in your life time...
loshea
And how much will it cost?
Geogon
I'll take two please
quade
Engage!
samsonguy920
What is cool about this, is it actually resembles the Enterprise featured in the montage of ships in The Motion Picture.
LeonThePro
this dude said Kessel run and we're reading about warp drive... shame on you OP
kangaimgur
So, have they got a good way of producing exotic negative energy matter now?
TheOldNewSlowFast
That's pretty cool. Maybe we can stop bombing 3rd world countries long enough to fund it.
PopeFlapjackXVIII
Some Star Trek shit is on the way, this and transparent aluminium is got my Sci-Fi boner going.
Kouala
Almost all of the drawings of the ship appear to bear the name IXS ENTERPRISE on it.
Lyrian
I think this drive has the problem of 'losing' it's place in the universe when it drives (you are blind to everything outside) and that it
Lyrian
could destroy anything in front of it after the fields are brought down. In addition doesn't it rely on negative matter existing as well?
RedRaptor
But will it blend?
Geogon
Yes it will because... http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/293/b/6/__murica__by_mkgraphics-d5ifhdj.jpg
MeinKamfyChair
Cool your jets people (pun intended). It's just a theory.
IHateYouSomeDays
For now. Who knows where this could land us (pun also intended.)
soundguyg
This is *nowhere* close to being prototyped. The mechanism is still only in theoretical "Could this even be possible?" stages... (1/2)
soundguyg
The energy required is 400 kg of "exotic matter," which hasn't even been "discovered" yet. This is down from a Jupiter sized amount. (2/2)
NerdN1
Pretty big step forward though. The mere fact that NASA is seriously researching the feasibility of FTL travel is amazing.
soundguyg
Definitely. I'm just trying to counteract the sensationalism.
chroniclunacy
Who cares? This is cool, no matter how far along they are.
soundguyg
Yes, it is cool. But essentially, at the moment, you might as well go read Ringworld. It's just as "real," and far more interesting.
IHateYouSomeDays
I find something that could be possible and could possibly lead to throwing humanity into the deepest cosmos far more interesting.