NationStates Jolt Archive

I.I.N. NEWS REPORTS:
*-*-*-BREAKING NEWS*-*-*-
“The Irish Isle Announces Once Top Secret Interstellar Travel program SUCCESFUL!”

Prime Minister Kelley, in an unexpected and unplanned press conference, announced to the world today [6/7/04] that The Irish Isle has been conducting top secret research, with the help of Intricate Aerospace Technologies and K&K Enterprises, on interstellar travel by means of Faster-Than-Light travel, and that at 0.400 hours, on the morning of June the 7th 2004, after more than 4 years [ns time] and countless billions spent on research, Interstellar, Faster-Than-Light travel was finally reached.

The Prime Minister went on to explain that through means of nuclear propulsion, an unmanned spacecraft successful traveled to another star system by reaching a top speed above that by which light travels. The unmanned space craft, being called “Spirit” carries on it “classified” computer systems, transmitters, and other scientific equipment that allowed the scientist to study the space craft from the safety of their laptop P.C.’s.

In response to the scientific breakthrough, Prime Minister Kelley appointed Professor and P.H.D., Jonathon P. Zircowitch, Minister of Interstellar Travel and Communication. The Prime Minister also announced the start of a new space program, known as I.S.S.T.C.A. or InterStellar Space Travel and Communication Agency which will be placed in charge of future interstellar travel and hopefully the production of an interstellar, manned, space craft as well as interstellar telecommunication satellites.

End Transmission***

Hey! Most physicists would say that nothing can travel past the speed of light (energy travels at the speed of light eg light). Explain your theories. So far, a stable nuclear fusion (fission produces insufficient power) reaction has not been achieved, and even if it existed, the only thing that could possibly produce enough power to propel such a craft at even a quarter of light speed (without having more fuel than the mass of the craft)would have to be a contunuous antimatter-matter reaction.

There is little chance that this technology will ever appear in the next 500 years, unless people can modify the laws of physics. Also, if objects do travel at such a speed, communication with them would have to be with signals that also travel faster than light. These technological advances would have to be made so that successful communication with a FTL craft (if it can exist) could be established to determine its success.