Ιδού το Enterprise! Engage warp drive! Nasa reveals latest designs for a Star Trek-style spacecraft that could make interstellar travel a reality

Το σκάφος διαστρικών ταξιδιών όπως το οραματίστηκε ο επιστήμονας της NASA και οι γραφίστες. Pictured is an illustration of Dr White's IXS Enterprise, an interstellar ship drawn by artist Mark Rademaker that could be an accurate representation of what the first mission beyond the solar system will look like. The IXS Enterprise is a theory-fitting concept for a faster than light (FTL) ship. Image Credit: Mark Rademaker/Flickr

Ο Χάρολντ Γουάιτ, επιστήμονας της NASA, έχει γίνει γνωστός για την άποψη που έχει διατυπώσει ότι είναι εφικτή ανάπτυξη τεχνολογίας που θα επιτρέπει την μετακίνηση στο Διάστημα με ταχύτητα μεγαλύτερη από αυτή του φωτός.

Το IXS Enterprise είναι ένα σκάφος που πιθανώς στο μέλλον να πραγματοποιεί διαστρικά ταξίδια. The ship has a number of features that make interstellar travel possible. This includes the two rings surrounding the central spacecraft - these are known as an Alcubierre drive and are used to 'warp' space-time and travel many light years in a matter of days.

This illustration shows Dr White's design in its entirety. Struts around the spacecraft show how it would be directly attached to the rings. At the front is the 'bridge' where the crew would conduct operations on the spacecraft. Towards the back is the cargo area where so-called exotic matter for fuel would be stored.

The ship at the centre of Dr White's IXS Enterprise would need to be small enough to fit inside the rings and it would need to not stick out too much. This is because when the rings are activated they will create a 'warp bubble', and anything outside of this will be cut off when the jump is made, according to Dr White.

Ο Γουάιτ συνεργάστηκε με δύο διακεκριμένους γραφίστες για τον σχεδιασμό ενός διαστημοπλοίου που θα μπορεί να πραγματοποιεί σε μικρό χρονικό διάστημα διαστρικά ταξίδια.

Look familiar? Dr White's design for the IXS Enterprise bears a striking similarity to the USS Enterprise as seen in various Star Trek TV shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, seen here. In the show this science vessel was used to 'explore strange new worlds' and 'seek out new life and new civilisation'.

Illustrated here is a previous design from Dr White and Rademaker. This concept had a number of flaws. First, the rings were too thin, meaning they would have needed too much energy for warp travell. Second, part of the ship extends out of the rings, which would have been cut off when the 'warp bubble' was created.

The rings around the spacecraft (shown) would actually shift the surrounding space. The drive would require something known as exotic matter to work, hypothetical particles that violate the known laws of physics (possibly such as dark matter), but as of yet none have been found or created.

Το σκάφος που σχεδίασαν μοιάζει πολύ με το θρυλικό Enterprise, το διαστημόπλοιο με το οποίο εξερευνoύν το Σύμπαν οι πρωταγωνιστές του Star Trek. Προς τιμήν του κινηματογραφικού διαστημοπλοίου το σκάφος που σχεδίασαν οι τρεις οραματιστές της διαστημικής εξερεύνησης το ονόμασαν IXS Enterprise.

The main limitation of the concept, (pictured) is energy - previously it was thought mass equivalent to a planet would be necessary to provide the energy required for a warp jump. But revised suggestions claim mass similar in size to a car might be more realistic.

Όπως και το κινηματογραφικό Enterprise έτσι και το IXS  χρησιμοποεί την περίφημη ταχύτητα δίνης (warp speed) για να καλύψει κολοσσαίες αποστάσεις στο Σύμπαν σε χρόνο dt.

The engine for Dr White's ISX Enterprise is based on something known as the Alcubierre drive. As shown in the illustration above this stretches space-time in a wave that causes the fabric of space-time ahead to contract while expanding the space behind, theoretically allowing 'faster than light' travel.

Warp travel is the focus of the 2014 movie Interstellar. A scene from the Christopher Nolan film, Interstellar, is pictured here. In the film lead character Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, is tasked with joining a team for an interstellar mission aboard an Alcubierre-inspired spacecraft to save humanity.

In Christopher Nolan's upcoming film Interstellar, due for release in November, a team of astronauts undertake a mission beyond the stars to save humanity. To get there they use an Alcubierre drive, shown above in a clip from the film - the same engine envisaged by Dr White of Nasa for his Star Trek-style spacecraft.

Ο Γουάιτ βασίζει την θεωρία του στην επαναστατική ιδέα του μεξικανού φυσικού Μιγκέλ Αλκουμπιέρε (Miguel Alcubierre) που υποστηρίζει ότι είναι δυνατή η επίτευξη υπερφωτεινής ταχύτητας στο πλαίσιο της Θεωρίας της Σχετικότητας ακόμη και χωρίς το τρικ του «συντομότερου δρόμου» της κοσμικής σήραγγας.