blackshire
06-02-2018, 10:12 AM
Hello All,
Paul Gilster’s "Centauri Dreams" interstellar spaceflight blog recently published an article that I wrote about Bracewell probes (interstellar messenger probes), titled "Immortal Interstellar Probes" (see: www.centauri-dreams.org/2018/05/18/immortal-interstellar-probes/ ). In 2015, he also published another article that I wrote on this subject, "Yarkovsky and YORP Effect Propulsion for Long-life Starprobes" (see: www.centauri-dreams.org/2015/06/22/yarkovsky-and-yorp-effect-propulsion-for-long-life-starprobes/ ). Also in 2015, I wrote yet another article, "Unusual Orbits for Unusual Missions" (see: www.centauri-dreams.org/2015/10/05/unusual-orbits-for-unusual-missions/ ). Also:
Sufficiently advanced ion drive propulsion technology for such starprobes already exists (as the Soviet Academy of Sciences pointed out in 1973, at the CETI [Communication with Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence] Conference at Baku, Azerbaijan), as do self-healing, radiation-tolerant photovoltaic cells, electronic components, and computers (these are recent developments). “Sun-diver” solar sails could also propel such probes to the same velocities (1% or more of [I]c). Whether ion drive-powered or solar sail-propelled, the probes could examine fields & particles and objects (interstellar asteroids, ejected comets, any rogue planets or undiscovered brown dwarfs, etc.) while en route to their target stars, and:
Such Bracewell interstellar messenger probes (named after Dr. Ronald N. Bracewell, the Australian-born, Stanford University electrical engineer and radio astronomer who conceived of this concept) would not only examine their target stars and their planets (much as our interplanetary probes explore our Sun and the other planets and small bodies of our Solar System), but Bracewell probes would also monitor the radio (and possibly also the light [laser]) portion(s) of the electromagnetic spectrum, for any intelligent signals originating from planets and/or elsewhere in their assigned solar systems. If any such signals were detected, the probes would attempt to contact the "local" aliens who were producing the artificial signals, using a protocol that Dr. Bracewell developed (which, for a considerable period of time, would not require either [or both] of the two parties to understand each other's languages at all).
I hope you will find these articles interesting.
Paul Gilster’s "Centauri Dreams" interstellar spaceflight blog recently published an article that I wrote about Bracewell probes (interstellar messenger probes), titled "Immortal Interstellar Probes" (see: www.centauri-dreams.org/2018/05/18/immortal-interstellar-probes/ ). In 2015, he also published another article that I wrote on this subject, "Yarkovsky and YORP Effect Propulsion for Long-life Starprobes" (see: www.centauri-dreams.org/2015/06/22/yarkovsky-and-yorp-effect-propulsion-for-long-life-starprobes/ ). Also in 2015, I wrote yet another article, "Unusual Orbits for Unusual Missions" (see: www.centauri-dreams.org/2015/10/05/unusual-orbits-for-unusual-missions/ ). Also:
Sufficiently advanced ion drive propulsion technology for such starprobes already exists (as the Soviet Academy of Sciences pointed out in 1973, at the CETI [Communication with Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence] Conference at Baku, Azerbaijan), as do self-healing, radiation-tolerant photovoltaic cells, electronic components, and computers (these are recent developments). “Sun-diver” solar sails could also propel such probes to the same velocities (1% or more of [I]c). Whether ion drive-powered or solar sail-propelled, the probes could examine fields & particles and objects (interstellar asteroids, ejected comets, any rogue planets or undiscovered brown dwarfs, etc.) while en route to their target stars, and:
Such Bracewell interstellar messenger probes (named after Dr. Ronald N. Bracewell, the Australian-born, Stanford University electrical engineer and radio astronomer who conceived of this concept) would not only examine their target stars and their planets (much as our interplanetary probes explore our Sun and the other planets and small bodies of our Solar System), but Bracewell probes would also monitor the radio (and possibly also the light [laser]) portion(s) of the electromagnetic spectrum, for any intelligent signals originating from planets and/or elsewhere in their assigned solar systems. If any such signals were detected, the probes would attempt to contact the "local" aliens who were producing the artificial signals, using a protocol that Dr. Bracewell developed (which, for a considerable period of time, would not require either [or both] of the two parties to understand each other's languages at all).
I hope you will find these articles interesting.