• Question: how long do you think it will be till we can travel at light speed

    Asked by js109345 to Austin, Kirsty, Nicola, Nike, Sarah on 21 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Kirsty Ross

      Kirsty Ross answered on 21 Jun 2012:

      There are many things that need to be overcome before light speed can be achieved. It takes a huge amount of energy to accelerate to anything close to that speed. The power to supply that would have to be carried by the craft, as would the energy needed to decelerate at the destination. Intersteller dust would be a massive problem, as even tiny specks could penetrate and damage the ship at those sorts of speeds. Another problem is time dilation. Time passes differently when you are moving at such speeds. An astronaut could leave for 40 years and come back to find that 80 years have passed on earth in the meantime. This also ignores how communication would work over such vast distances.

      A lot of the research is currently theoretical, and I think it will probably remain that way during my lifetime. However, I’d love to see it happen! Here is a great article with more details for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_travel

    • Photo: Nike Dattani

      Nike Dattani answered on 21 Jun 2012:

      We will never be able to travel at the speed of light.
      Particles with mass (like what we’re made out of) travel BELOW the speed of light.
      Particles without mass (like “photons” which are the particles of light) travel AT the speed of light.
      Particles with imaginary mass are called TACHYONS and travel FASTER than the speed of light !

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