Mission To 700 AU, Discussion of options for sending a probe to 700 AU Options

[qraal]

Speaking of Mike Brown and his planets, if the proposed Planet IX is confirmed, then it's likely to be about 700 AU away. That's a 200 year journey at "Voyager" speed (~3.5 AU/year), so we'll need to go significantly faster.

For historical precedent there's the Thousand AU mission design from the late 1980s, which used a SNAP powered ion drive to push a probe to ~20 AU/year. Waiting 50 years for major data return seems excessive, so I'd think a 20 year max travel time, and preferably a 10 year travel time, should be in the minimum specifications.

The main propulsion options IMO are an extreme Oberth Maneuver, with a very high thrust system at perihelion; a high performance Solar-Sail; an E-Sail, and - a bit more speculative - a laser-push by the proposed Starshot Array.

Anything missing?

[nprev]

MOD NOTE: Please review and be mindful of rule 1.9 before posting in this topic.

[qraal]

To review:

1.9 Other subjects that are banned here include: Pluto's planethood; conspiracy theories; sci-fi engineering; "new physics"; pseudoscience.

...which hopefully we can keep this topic to real near-term engineering options.

MOD NOTE: Please review and be mindful of rule 1.9 before posting in this topic.

[HSchirmer]

To review:

1.9 Other subjects that are banned here include: Pluto's planethood; conspiracy theories; sci-fi engineering; "new physics"; pseudoscience.

...which hopefully we can keep this topic to real near-term engineering options.

And to put a bookmark about current engineering:

Lasers- current US Navy laser is solid state 30kW (XN-1 LaWS on USS Ponce),
contracts are out to develop 150kW versions to be aircraft based.

Railguns -current US Navy guns fire 23 pound rounds at mach 7, (escape velocity at earth's surface is around mach 33)
Sea trials are supposed to start aboard USNS Millinocket.


File:Laser Weapon System aboard USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) in November 2014 (05).JPG
File:One of two electromagnetic railgun prototypes on display aboard joint high speed vessel USS Millinocket (JHSV 3) in port at Naval Base San Diego on July 8, 2014. US Navy photo.

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