qedan / interstellar_mission_planning

Some tools for planning interstellar missions

interstellar_mission_planning

Some tools for planning interstellar missions

Example mission

The following shows an example mission from the solar system to Proxima Centauri (4.244 light-years). We begin with a 1kg payload and 1000kg of fuel. We assume the exhaust velocity is 500km/s, which is consistent with a fusion rocket. Burning 900kg of fuel accelerates us to a cruising speed of just under 0.4 percent the speed of light (i.e. 0.004c). The trip takes more than 1100 years.

Currently, we assume that fuel escaping the suns gravity is negligible and that the mission is non-relativistic.

interstellar_mission_planning's Issues

Multi-stage accelerations

As a mission planner, I can straightforwardly compute accelerations involving multiple stages. Currently, multi-stage accelerations can be computed by manually changing the payload mass between acceleration phases.

Gravitational corrections

As a mission planner, I have proper accounting of gravitational corrections resulting from escaping the solar system and arriving at a destination star.

Relativistic missions

As a mission planner, I can plan missions involving relativistic speeds so that I am not limited to low-speed missions.

It should be straightforward to report relevant metrics in either the solar reference frame, or the ship's reference frame (e.g. proper time). Proper accounting should be made for accelerating phases of the mission and not just cruise phases.

Gradual accelerations

As a mission planner, I would like to know how long the acceleration periods are for a given acceleration so that I can plan for effects of acceleration on crews and equipment.

Starship acceleration should take a parameter for the acceleration (e.g. 1 * g) and compute the time and distance required for the acceleration.