Is NASA Covering Up the 100-Year Starship? (just out)

A NASA official may have made a 35-million-mile slip of the tongue.

The director of NASA's Ames Research Center in California casually let slip mention of the 100-Year Starship recently, a new program funded by the super-secret government agency, DARPA. In a talk at San Francisco's Long Conversation conference, Simon “Pete” Worden said DARPA has $1M to spend, plus another $100,000 from NASA itself, for the program, which will initially develop a new kind of propulsion engine that will take us to Mars or beyond.There's only one problem: The astronauts won't come back.

The 100-year ship would leave Earth with the intention of colonizing a planet, but it would likely be a one-way trip because of the time it takes to travel 35 million miles. That’s a daunting prospect, partly because of the ethical dilemma, and partly because it may be the only recourse.

There's one other bizarre aspect to the plan: Humans would have to be “adapted” to the alien world, Worden said, instead of figuring out a way to make the planet more hospitable to them.

“The human space program is now really aimed at settling other worlds,” Worden said during his talk. “Twenty years ago you whispered that in dark bars and got fired.”

Since that revelation, hundreds of news reports about the program have theorized that the substantial budget indicates the Hundred Year Starship is a dramatic shift for the stalled space program, not just a research project; others suggest it is a serious attempt to find a way to Mars. And NASA? The space agency seems to be dodging all questions.

Worden may have slipped by revealing the program, but -- as evidenced by NASA’s lack of cooperation -- it may be too early for any new revelations.
Source: www.foxnews.com...

Well, first of all. I thought it was pretty much a given that anyone going to Mars and beyond would most likely not be making it back. Duh. This isn't Star Wars-it's reality!!!

That being said, I couldn't do it. Not now. Too old and to bolted into life here on Earth. But, If I was a younger man-and single, beam me the hell up and lets get this thing going. I am sure I would hook up with one of the female techs flying along and could start a life there/Mars. Maybe my own colony: anon72ville

I made my mind up after watching the movie Event Horizon. It got me thinking of the possibitlities of living the rest of my life in space or on another planet.

So, I say, send enough women along and the men will follow-). Anyway, sounds to me like someone gotta a little excited and told a big fib-or rather expanded on his idea scenario maybe. But, still in the discussion phase, I am sure.

I just came across this piece-associated with this whole storyline:
The Psychology of Leaving Earth Behind Forever
Source: www.foxnews.com...

Thank you for this post.

It certainly doesn't surprise me. Personally I believe we should focus on learning more about our own planet before worrying about colonizing other planets. I forget the exact number but isn't it something like 40% of our oceans are unexplored? Also if these astronauts aren't coming back then I have a couple names I would like to add to the list

Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, has set a new record for the most cumulative time in space - logging a total of 748 days in orbit

answers.yahoo.com...

This is as much time as any human being has spent in outer space..that we know of..


I know astronauts constantly have to exercise to keep their muscles from atrophying in the absence of gravity. The stress of living in a completely sterile environment in the black void of space has to be unbeleiveable. I dont think we're cut out for this one...send more robots first...

reply to post by anon72


Perhaps the real reason that " they " won't be coming back is because the people picked to go on these jurnies will under go some form of gene modification to help them adapt to the alien conditions that they will have to face on these new worlds . Perhaps that's the real tid bit that's being keept secret , and why they won't be coming back ?

reply to post by Max_TO


That's definitely seems plausible to me. Re-engineer the astronauts to, for example, survive on a planet with a greater concentration of oxygen or something similar.

Ok just puting this out there....I think it safe to say that if we are learning about something that is in the "works" we already have had it for ten years....the blackbird was hidden for 30 years...we can cloak a tank...and now they are saying we need to colonize other worlds? I know this idea is pretty far out there but maybe we already got the ship ready to go.. Any thoughts on this?

1 million from Darpa? 100k from Nasa? What kind of engine is it, rubber bands and plastic sticks?

While I accept the fact that there may be a plan for a 100 year star ship, it seems to me that 1,100,000 dollars would not be nearly enough to develop the engine. And as far as not coming back from mars, it would be completely possible using the tech that we have now to go to mars and come back for people. If there was a station there, or a colony, you could stay several years and still come back. I don't think the problem with settling mars is the propulsion system of the rocket. I would say that the problem would lie providing enough space in the ship for the astronauts to live comfortably for the six month trip.

As far as colonizing other planets that are not in our solar system, then yes, you would need a star ship like the one proposed. Personally I think the answer lies in nano technology and understanding how to manipulate the self assembling process of matter. Let me cross my front legs, chew on some clover and meditate on it and I'll get baaaa-ck to you.

The one thing that kinda made me just disregard this bit of news and keep on reading was the budget. They said, Darpa had allocated a million dollars for the project. Would a million dollars even buy you a toilet seat on the ISS nowadays? If they were really taking any of this seriously, they would have a much higher budget. Hell, Bigelow has spent almost 200 million just getting a couple of his small inflatable habitats into orbit.

Originally posted by HollowJacket
I know astronauts constantly have to exercise to keep their muscles from atrophying in the absence of gravity. The stress of living in a completely sterile environment in the black void of space has to be unbeleiveable. I dont think we're cut out for this one...send more robots first...

edit on 29-10-2010 by HollowJacket because: too many emoticons

Sensible idea. We already have robots that have the upper body and torso of a human and comparable dexterity, if not speed, of the hand. Then you have the Boston Dynamics Big Dog robot that can keep it's balance and walk on almost any surface. Combine these two into one robot, give it the most sophisticated a.i. system you can. Send it into space with enough material to replicate itself a few times. Send it to the planet and see what happens.

If we could figure out a way to communicate as fast as photons seem to, we could operate the robot in real time and thus have a very good robot with Human intelligence.

In reality I don't think that the idea is far fetched at all. There are several things that trouble me however.

1. $1,100,000.00 isn't nearly enough to build a generational ship unless there are many other backers and countries contributing to the project. This ship would have to be generational in which multiple couples would generate offspring and they would carry on the purpose of the mission.
2. Where would they be sending this ship that would be so far that it wouldn't come back? Possibly intergalactic?
3. Who would be going on these ships? I'm sorry but if they plan to colonize anything with just scientists and politics then it will fail miserably. Who is going to do the dirty work?

Without a magnetic field around Mars, no life will be able to live there.

There is no life form on this planet that would survive on Mars even if we put it in a glass domed dream city with a temperature of 70*F and breathable air. There would be no means to keep the suns energy from destroying the cell life at the atomic level...Hyper Cancer.

Just my 2 cents, but just because they say their budget is 1,100,000 doesnt mean that'll be what they end up spending. Imagine the backlash if they announced a 2 billion dollar budget for what could amount to be a pipedream? Not so good I'd imagine.

But then again, like someone else said, they could already have the ship. And maybe the 1,100,000 bucks is just the change left over?

reply to post by Pervius



I think they would have thought of that and came up with a way to create a device/system that they coud produce their own mag field.

This is the first time I ever heard of this though-and not that I doubt what you wrote but could you put something there that backs that up? I would appreciate a chance to read up on that (lack of magnetic field and what can/can't be done etc).

How wonderful would that be???

Get outside of your normal thinking as an Earthbound dweller... ATS Member... You could likely remain an ATS Member on your way to Mars... But beyond the bubble of the ship or the bubble of a base station... Ask yourself, Would it really matter if a World War broke out?
Would it matter if there was a Usurper in the White House?

Only cares you would have for Earth in this selfish ME based society would be the air that you brought with; the food replicators & whether or not there was a hole in your shelter.

No Mosquitos! \o/
No Politicians! \o/
No In Laws ... Wull ... depends

Think about all the Earth bound cares and then what will REALLY matter to a Marsnaut?

"Oh, it's really too bad that humanity on Earth obliterated itself during the nuke wars... That was then and here are on Mars; Too bad Soros stowed away with us... At least there aren't any leaves on my car."

I get this feeling that humanity won't be allowed to colonize other planets until we get our act together. You can call it a hunch.

With regards to the budget...It is money that is fueling Think Tanks. and for people to sit there and try to figure out how to do it.. The million dollars is not the money they are making the ship from. Do people not get that?

Originally posted by WakeUpAndC
With regards to the budget...It is money that is fueling Think Tanks. and for people to sit there and try to figure out how to do it.. The million dollars is not the money they are making the ship from. Do people not get that?

I'm a simple sheep sir. I don't know what these others excuses are...

I don't know how much of a cover up it is. They were discussing this on Canada AM news this morning. They wouldn't even be going up there until 2030, at least that is the plan right now. Long time for more planning.
One way trip, colonize Mars.

www.ctv.ca...

So far, the mission amounts to US$1.1 million in seed capital that NASA's Ames Research Centre and the Pentagon's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency hope to turn into the $11 billion the mission could cost.

11 Billion, maybe more?

"We hope to inveigle some billionaires to form a Hundred Year Starship fund. The human space programme is now really aimed at settling other worlds. Twenty years ago you had to whisper that in dark bars and get fired," Worden said in remarks posted to a blog that covered the event. "Within a few years we will see the first true prototype of a spaceship that will take us between worlds."

Also, Russia is planning on sending more monkeys into space. Way before people.

www.express.co.uk...

You know I cant help but think about all the scifi books I read as a kid. I only mention this because it seems a lot of the things we have created have seemed to run a uncanny parallel to those books. Keeping that in mind, seems to me, the Moon was established first. Why, is this being bypassed when it is much closer and would be a better test run? I mean after all we now know it has water. It would make the hop skip and jump closer to move on to mars or where ever. Just my thoughts to kick around... (shrug)

Originally posted by WakeUpAndC
Ok just puting this out there....I think it safe to say that if we are learning about something that is in the "works" we already have had it for ten years....the blackbird was hidden for 30 years...we can cloak a tank...and now they are saying we need to colonize other worlds? I know this idea is pretty far out there but maybe we already got the ship ready to go.. Any thoughts on this?

Not possible. Anything being built in orbit can be seen by amateur astronomers. There would be pictures of it all over the internet just like my avatar.