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Space Travel

One of the more practical applications for the theoretical cosmology in the short term is its ability to develop new techniques for movement through our universe. If are better able to understand the nature and fabric of the universe we find a better and faster way to get from one point in it to another.

So far the theoretical limit on the speed of travel in the universe is imposed by Einstein's immortal E=mc^2. As any object with mass approaches the speed of light the mass is multiplied Thus is would take more and more energy to continue accelerating closer to the speed of light. To reach the speed of light, at which point the mass becomes infinite, the energy required would also become infinitely large. The only reason light can travel at this speed is because photons have no mass.

This universal speed limit posses problems for any kind of practical travel in the universe. For example a ship traveling at 0.999% the speed of light (c) would take several hundred years just to reach the nearest star. There would be no possibility for huge galactic federations of planets, much less even simple exploration. The risk, effort, and time involved would make travel outside the solar system a large waste.

So rather than trying to find a way to break the speed barrier, science has suggested several methods of circumventing the normal space-time continuum and getting from one point to another by a shorter means. Science fiction has latched onto this concept as a possible way of travel in the future. For example the famous "warp" of Star Trek fame uses a parellel space-time in which the light speed limitation does not exist for normal matter. This extra universe called "subspace" (sometimes "hyperspace") can simply be jumped into, traveled in with great ease, and then jumped out of again at the desired location. In Star Trek ships, the warp engines create a subspace field around the ship that allows the ship to overcome the light speed barrier. The stronger the field, the faster the speed they can travel (e.g. warp 1= the speed of light, warp 2= c^2 etc.)

Another possible way to travel the stars is by wormhole control. If you can survive entry and exit of a wormhole, as described here, you may be able to shorten the distance of travel by circumventing the normal space-time route.

Since we have yet to successfully travel beyond the moon (a feat in itself), travel outside the solar system seems remote. But to consider the possibility of eventually exploring the stars with regularity is a worthy cause in itself. I hope that one day, the problems of limited space flight may be over come and we can go and witness for ourself the wonders our universe has to offer.