I am coming into this thread a little late, but we need some focus. To my limited knowledge here is what we actually need to develop first and
foremost.
1. Propulsion
2. The craft's structural composition
3. Life support
4. Inertial dampeners
This is all that matters at the moment.
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Well this page is a start.
A Strong Ship
And this one here can give us some ideas.
Schematics
Maybe some kind of nano tube construction for the outer shell that can repair itself. like this one.
Future Spaceships
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Here is my quick off-the-backside-of-a-napkin design for a small 3 people spacecraft to make the trip to the moon:
1) shell: aerogel-enhanced with nanotubes. Seamless shell so as that to minimize fractures; strongest material on Earth; also the lightest
material.
2) nuclear power generator. You'll see why later.
3) two coils across the spaceship which produce big watts of power and create an artificial electromagnetic field. Used for protection of the
internals of the spaceship from radiation etc.
4) artificial gravity using a very rotating sphere like a rotating hard disk motors. Hard disk motors create so much centripetal force that's
impossible to separate them from the floor when they operate. That's why you need the big electricity. And you need big electricity for this.
5) nuclear blast propulsion system enhanced by laser thrust. I don't know if it works, or if the lasers could react with the nuclear reaction to
enhance it. I suspect that something might happen.
The spacecraft will be so small that it can be launched from an airplane and then get out of the atmosphere from high orbit.
For a trip to Mars, a bigger spaceship would be required, with more luxuries, with a much higher degree of sophistication and technology not yet
invented.
I wonder If a quantum effect can be used to enhance a spaceship's propulsion in relativistic speeds; for example, quantum tunneling or something like
that.
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I had a dream about us using sound (vibrations) waves to propel a ship through space. In my dream the sound waves some how created a gravity pull,
hole, something.. in from of the ship. The ship would follow the hole (pull)and the hole would continue to move out in front of the ship. The only
power required was a fairly large naval nuclear reactor. I know there is no sound in space but could vibrations cause space to pull you along like
gravity?
Is that even possible??
Sounds dumb I guess. Just a dream I have had every once in awhile. 
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Hi Direwolf!
I'm a newbie here at ATS, but I REALLY LIKE THIS TOPIC!!!
How about a laser-powered earth escape and re-entry vehicle?
This type of sapcecraft would be advanced, lightweight, economical and more importantly - DOABLE!
Check out this website...
[url=http://www.lightcrafttechnologies.com]
Lots of work to go from this early prototype to a functional, safe, manned vehicle.
No new physics is required!
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Once long, long ago, in apart of my memory that still works, there was an idea that sounded pretty good. The idea was to use two adjoining mountains,
and build a rail system. You used gravity assist going down the first mountain to build up speed, so that when the rail went back up the second you
could reach the end of the rail with enough boost to get out of Earth's gravity well with a lot less fuel and strain than is now the case.
Basically, with this idea, all you would need is a rocket powered jet. The jet to carry you above the atmosphere, and the rocket portion for further
space travel.
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I was sitting here reading for a while and I think I figured out a way to get the ship into space with very little fuel.
I was looking at the Japenese Maglev.
Just using Magnets alone it goes at 500kph.
I say we have a track about 30 km long.
The escape vessel will be on the track with the ship attached.
Once the ship has reached the max speed of the track its engines engage.
Unlike the current shuttle. It is already moving at high speeds.
So the fuel will not me wasted on getting off the ground.
At the end of the track it will be curved straight upwards.
When the ship gets to the end it ejects the escape vessel and
Pushes the throttle on the engine.
That solves a big problem with the current space shuttle.
Most of its fuel is wasted getting it off the ground.
With this the Magnets keep the ship off the track but uses the track to guide it.
That way the fuel can be used to just drastically increase the speed.
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