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t-subgenius — Interstellar Probes
Published: 2008-12-02 04:28:52 +0000 UTC; Views: 1748; Favourites: 14; Downloads: 33
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Misplaced these for a long time after a move.Everything requires a proof of concept. These were designed to function as that for my Mini-RAIR[link] & Nagugan RAIR [link] vessels. Testing the drive, self repair systems, AI systems, etc. all need to be done and it needs to be found out how well they can function for decades on their own (as a crew would likely be frozen in cryostasis for the journey.)
Made them up to be about 1/2 to 1/3 the length of the manned RAIR and significantly narrower. Lost the math sheet I usually have attached to my designs so I dont remember what the loaded mass was.
The Lewis & Clark would be a generarion 1 interstellar probe booster. Simple high efficiency spherical toroid DHe3 fusion drive to test the RAIR concept (Ram-Augmented Interstellar Rocket.) Maybe hit 1%C. The probe on the end would be fully equipped and be targeted at an interesting system, but it would be moving slow enough that it wouldnt matter for long time. Pretty much a launch and if it turns up something interesting, its a bonus. If not, it served its purpose.
The Cook Class would be the test for the Antimatter Catalyzed RAIR system for the Nag and Mini-Rair. Its slightly larger to carry more reaction mass for higher velocity Hitting about 5%C for cruising, this would either be able to travel to a further destination or arrive sooner at a nearer star (compared to a Lewis & Clark Class or previous probes.)
Both booster systems are topped with a Magellian Probe/ Breaking stage. Using both a ram scoop & a solar sail, the probe is able to slow down and move into a cometary orbit using little to no reaction mass.
Once in system, the Magellian is there to stay as the booster stage is discarded when its fuel/reaction mass is expended. Its purpose is to launch smaller scientific/sensor packages and do as complete a survey as possible. All the processing is done on the Magellian using advanced artificial intelligence systems before being transmitted back to earth. Response time would likely be on the order of a decade or two so it does not have the ability to look home for guidance. Self repair capabilities are limited as it has little room for spares. However, the small onboard mining & refining system working with the nanofactory to build anything (provided it can find the raw materials.)
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Comments: 13
Would the AI be of the sentient or non-sentient category? Because sending one on a Long duration interstellar mission would be a good way to test such AI's, although you'd probably have to send more than one so it wouldn't go insane.
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It would likely be a combination and they would be numerous. Most of the tedious grunt work, routine systems monitoring, and basic repair would be handled by non-sentient AIs. The sentient AIs would be free to supervise and conduct trials on the systems and conduct scientific research. Probably even have several psychological oriented AIs to monitor mental health and counsel or re-integrate components from earlier backups should mental aberrations arise.
In my mind, sentient AIs would already be well advanced and fully integrated into society before a mission like this would be launched. In any sort of long duration trip during the interplanetary expansion, I see one (or several) sentient AIs paying a fairly large role in working with biological crew members. Respect for all forms of sentience arises out of the symbiotic relationship and the cooperation culminates in large projects like interstellar exploration and colonization.
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True, But in the Universe I'm creating there wasn't much time for that.
Essentially the aliens that helped us end WWIII mandated that we needed to send a interstellar probe to the nearest star, then have a manned follow up mission that would depart and return, all before 2100.
The good news is that the technology needed to create AI's (which is being developed now in the form of the Open Cog project)had been around long enough that the first 21 alphas (alpha referring to Strong AI's created between 2000-2060, and numbers after 00 being created after 2042) could be created in enough time for their launch on the 3 explorer probes launched in 2045.
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Most of the interstellar stuff I work on starts in 2100 and just have humans, associated biological intelligences (uplifted animals and gestalt intelligences), and computer intelligences (AI, and AI Gestalts) bootstrapping their way to the stars. The first manned interstellar vessel leaves in 2150. I generally go for long development times, slow travel, and large vessels.
It would be nice to get handed technology though, would help out the learning curve so much. Even with mature SLT drives, that should not be difficult even at 25% speed of light.
In the setting I work with, there was only one race that Earthlings ever discovered signs of and that was only through a pyre beacon.
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I have Earth placed in what I call the Terran Sapiens cluster, which is a sphere roughly 600 ly across with Earth near 1 edge. Terran Sapiens refers to the fact that one of the species that helped us out are essentially bipedal descendents of Terran mice, allegedly brought to a new planet by ancient visitors as part of an experiment, and are roughly at our level of tech (as are the rest of the aliens due to a collapse of technology much like seen in the Foundation novels) as they were uplifted recently themselves as a result of a conflict with some other aliens (star wars rebel vs empire trope) while they were at a 1950's tech level. It's suspected (and later confirmed) that other Terran biology based ecosystems exist within the Terran Sapiens cluster, which is actually on the edge of known space for the other aliens, compared to the galactic 'core' where many species have long established empires.
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Very interesting setting.
Found the foundation novels very interesting. Have you ever read David Brin's 'Uplift' series?
For most of my stuff, I generally have a maximum of about 150ly radius once the STL technology achieves the 50%C speed. Much beyond that, travel from one end to the other takes too long to bother, and with most of the trade being information and colonists regular trips are unnecessary.
Though, with most of my uplifts, all I bother with is expanding the brain's capability by increasing neuron density and compensating with biomechanical & cybernetic implants. To me, its far easier to interface with forge a cybernetic interface with waldo arms than it is to rebuild the skeleton and internal organs to make them a functional bipedal organism.
Mice, rats, and other small mammals have relatively minor modifications and become interesting gestalt/swarm intelligences. With cybernetic implants & high bandwidth wireless, 20-50 of them are linked up in parallel to form a 'collective.' With the addition of new members to counteract the death of others, the mind actually stays relatively intact and can survive for centuries while still retaining a cohesive personality and identity. Very similar to the way I treat sentient swarms of nano-robots.
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Reminds me a lot of the Tines from Vernor Vinge's novels (which are excellent btw). The problem with uplifting and new lifeforms in general is ensuring fair treatment, i.e. not forcing them to take on a particular role, which would be as wrong as forcing a strong AI to exclusively answer tech support. The answer of course is that the amount of natural rights an organism receives (and individuals of that species) is directly proportional to the sentience of that species, with changes naturally due to differences in psyche.
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Those look excellent, I was contemplating something similar but It'd have to go faster so that could reach the Centauri's within 20 yrs
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My idea was that the first interstellar probes would be more testing out long endurance self repair systems and conditions beyond the heliopause. While they would be targeted at worlds with potentially habitable planets, the purpose is more to see if they can get there and monitor their progress on the way. If the ship should arrive in the destination reasonably functional, then the exploration could begin.
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Do you have any idea how to calculate the braking force of a magnetic sail for a certain amount of power? This would be a golden equation if I could find it.
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I made a few initial assumptions based off the estimated performance of a solar sail. The main drive would slow the probe down enough that, with solar sail braking, it would move into a cometary orbit and then make multiple such orbits around the star.
The idea was for the probe to disperse numerous probes & limited von Neumann machines throughout the system. Gather scientific research and establish a limited infrastructure to receive a manned (human, uplift, and AI) mission if the system proved 'interesting enough.'
There is a vague recollection of there being a mention of numerical mention of interstellar drag in one of the books I have. Think it was the 'Spaceflight Handbook' but could be wrong.
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I've got a huge thread going on interstellar colonization; at the moment the discussion seems locked into what would be best for an uplift species, though...
[link]
I chose a fusion-based engine, much lower performance than antimatter, but the propellant is much more easily stored, allowing a larger mass ratio, and it doesn't produce nearly as much waste heat.
Seeing as my radiator mass ended up not being too much of a problem, I may turn to an antimatter engine, though...
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Ill have to take a look, thanks!
For me, antimatter's efficiency is hard to pass up. Use solar power (a station in Mercury orbit) and it would become fairly 'cheap.' Storage is always going to be a problem, but my assumption is that a more research is done into its production, it will be easier to store and transport.
As far as radiator mass, I simply kept the ship from melting down during the initial system escape burn. The idea is that you disperse the majority over the long transit time.
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