Will we ever build a decent space ship?

Question

So I know modern space ships are very high tech and cost a lot to build,
But to be completely honest, they're extremely small and are usually only built for small missions.

So my question is, do you think we'll ever get round to building a proper, full sized, star-trek/wars type ship, that we could actually explore the outer planets and solar systems with?

The first space shuttle launched in 1981, surely by now we could build something like this?
Thank you!

Answer 1

Unfortunately, no.



It costs a lot of money for each pound of matter lifted off the Earth and into space. To put the material in place for building a massive ship of the type seen on Star Trek would bankrupt a nation. This is ignoring the weight in fuel needed for traveling planetary distances.



Even with a far better propulsion system, the planets are much too distant for people to visit. Apologies to science fiction fans and super-optimists.

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Answer 2

Probably not in our lifetime. While I think it would be technologically possible to build an interplanetary liner, I doubt it will be economically feasible. The only good reasons to visit other planets are scientific research, for which spacecraft are not going to be especially fancy, or tourism for which spacecraft may be more luxurious but will probably be small since it will be only for billionaires.



Also the spaceships in Star Trek, Star Wars, and most other science fiction benefit from a lot of fictional technology that won't work in real life. In terms of what the spacecraft looks like, the big one I think is artificial gravity, which lets them have a layout much like an ocean-going ship with decks one above another and the main engines at the back. A realistic spaceship won't be like this. There's two ways we know to simulate gravity. One is by spinning the spaceship, and this will mean the spaceship will be a cylinder or possibly doughnut shape. The other is by accelerating, which would allow pretty much any shape (but the need to take off and land on planets would probably determine the actual shape) but would place the engines not at the rear but at the bottom.

Answer 3

The closest we got was the Project Orion Nuclear Pulse Propulsion space ship of the 1950's and 60's. It was to be a 150 man spaceship launched from the ground in a single stage with 800 small kiloton nuclear explosions. The overall costs was to be less than the Apollo program, the targets were Mars by 1965 and Saturn by 1970. As Nasa didn't want anything to do with it, it was funded by the US airforce and it was top secret. Unfortunately, the military built a model of it bristling with cannons and nuclear missiles to show Kennedy as a nuclear missile platform and after Cuba, Kennedy was shocked by the idea and became vehemently opposed to it. Small chemical explosives models were built and shown to work as expected and due to the mass of the ship, the acceleration and radiation were quite safe for the crew. The nuclear arms treaty of 1963 prohibited nuclear bombs in space even for propulsion so Project Orion was shut down but it did get transferred to Nasa at that point as all the tests showed it would work and Nasa developed a miniature 8 man version to be launched on the Saturn V to make a trip to Mars and the government tried to negotiate an exception to the nuclear arms treaty to allow a trip to Mars. The scientists secretly developed plans for a 20 man version as they wanted to be included on the mission and hoped to eventually negotiate for the larger version to be built.



Nasa still retains a file on the design for emergencies such as an asteroid collision.



To this day, Project Orion and the 1990's update Medusa are the best interplanetary designs that we have but the whole 800 small blasts to launch the first one is a bit of a stumbler. Once one has been launched, you would have enough equipment to mine and build new ones in space.



The idea of nuclear pulse propulsion may sound crazy to the layman but someone qualified thinks about it, the more obviously reasonable it becomes.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Dear Awesome guy1

Donut Tim is right. As long as we have to launch from here on the earth we’ll continue making the spaceships small/cramped, to economize on the fuel.

It will not be until we have lunar mining stations sending the raw materials into orbit using a BIG “pitching machine” for free-fall smelting/construction operations in the Lagrange points http://www.amazon.com/The-High-Frontier-Colonies-Apogee/dp/189652267X That we’ll begin constructing BUG ships. At that point the “primary hull”/sourer of the Enterprise actually makes some sense… It was concave on the “keel” side of it… http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/star-trek-blueprints.php the perfect spot for a BIG parabolic antenna/telescope. And you can spin the deck(S) in the outer edge to create High-G labs and gymnasiums, 1G living quarters, Low and 0G labs. (The centrifuge will even act as a “navigational aid”)

Now… As to the exact nature of the propulsion… ?

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Answer 6

It's not impossible, we just need to shift our attitudes as well as develop new resources as well.



Right now we just have chemical rockets and the attitude today is about the economy. When our attitudes shift where long distance space travel is a necessity, then so will the resources. As well as seeking alternatives to chemical rockets like antimatter and different methods of generating it.

Answer 7

If we could figure out a proper propulsion system, yeah, sure.



Just don't hold your breath just yet. We have no idea how some kind of warp drive could be made; we don't even know if one is possible at all.

Answer 8

We need to develop/ discover a different source of power first. Just think of how far mankind has come in the last hundred odd years. I'd say its most probable we will eventually will manufacture a decent spaceship, although whether it will be in mine or your lifetime especially in our current economic environment I doubt it.

Answer 9

it is possible, but no one will accept the challenge to build a decent one, until oil will be found elsewhere in our galaxy, planet mars seem to be promising, give it a few more years, surely the discovery of an energy source will be the trigger to your concept of this.

Answer 10

I believe they already have a new one at area 51 and it will be revealed soon. what other reason would they give up on the space shuttle so totally

Answer 11

It will never happen because it will cost lot of money. US is the only one who could do it but they are in debt to the tune of 55 trillion dollars. 15 Trillion dollars debt alone to China.



Plus they need money to bomb Arab countries and paying bribes to countries to keep them to her side.

Answer 12

Nothing to go any farther than say mars that is with passengers.