Whereas researching Starbound, my new ebook on the realities of interstellar journey, I used to be typically stunned by the weird, over-the-top spacecraft designs that scientists have proposed in well-regarded educational journals. One of the best-known of those is Project Orion (1957-1965), whose central concept was to propel an interstellar spacecraft by detonating a collection of thermonuclear bombs behind it, giving the craft a succession of highly effective kicks by area.
Lengthy after the mission ended, Freeman Dyson, who labored on the mission, stated: “We actually have been a bit insane, pondering that each one this stuff would work.” Amen.
Loads of different wild starship designs have…
