Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

ObligatoryOption t1_iwd24sr wrote

On the other hand such planets could serve as a better interstellar transport than just a spaceship. If you spot one that's going in the general direction that interests you then get on it with tunneling and mining equipment. Now you have a whole planet to use as multi-generational ship so you can benefit from gravity, exploit its mineral resources, hopefully find more nuclear fuel, build entire cities underground to protect you colony against cosmic radiation and asteroid bombardment, maintain heat, etc. I would think it raises the chances that your descendants make it alive to destination. The biggest problem is that you cannot accelerate it to get there sooner.

13

Cat_stacker t1_iwd5h42 wrote

Eventually the people inside might not even remember that there is an outside, or think that it's a myth designed to keep them from tunnelling in forbidden directions.

3

Thatingles t1_iwdl8g2 wrote

They could fill the time by tessellating tabbies I suppose.

1

SilkieBug t1_iwd2wtz wrote

Exactly, it would be amazing.

You could also accelerate it if you use its mass to make mass accelerators or enormous rocket engines.

2

daikatana t1_iwd71mb wrote

It would take much more energy to rendezvous with a rogue planet, and when you're talking about a generational ship (which would presumably be massive), that's a lot of energy. It would take far less energy to just go to your destination, and I'm pretty sure energy would be the most important factor on a trip like that.

2

Routine_Shine_1921 t1_iwdfmja wrote

Not really, think of the planet as an Aldrin cycler. If you rendezvous with the planet, you only have to accelerate ships packed tight with people and some resources. Say, travel time to the planet at its closest approach is two years, but your actual destination is ten thousand years away. Then you only need to send up enough mass to support your initial group of people for two years, instead of all resources for the full population for 10k years.

Say such a planet where to pass through the solar system at some point. You could say, say, 50 Starships with people, tools, etc, which is within our capabilities. Then those people set up base on the planet. The planet provides everything required for the multi-generational trip.

Instead, putting up a generation ship of such size and meant to last that long, is well outside of our capabilities.

1