What Types of Interstellar Spacecraft Have Been Proposed?
Interstellar spacecraft, or spacecraft capable of making trips between solar systems, would need to be considerably more advanced than the interplanetary craft that mankind has already constructed. While the distance between planets in this solar system can be measured in light-minutes or light-hours, distances between star systems are typically dozens of light years. Because solar systems are so small relative to the vast expanses of empty space they are embedded within, high-precision navigation and propulsion systems will be necessary for an interstellar spacecraft to reach its target successfully. One advantage of interstellar travel is the near-vacuum of space; once you get an object moving, there is little resistance to slow it down. However, with contemporary chemical rocket technology, accelerating any object to a speed above many thousandths of the speed of light would be tremendously difficult. To make an interstellar spacecraft, it has been acknowledged that solid fuel chemi
