From Earth, light takes four years to reach Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our sun, and millions of years to cross the void to other galaxies like ours.
Compared with light, our most powerful rockets are sluggish, and journeys between the stars seem doomed to involve thousands of years of sliding through the blackness. The growth of any Galactic Empire appears destined to be a slow and sedate affair.
So, are dreams of such an empire only that, just dreams? Not if you listen to the media, as reports of the advent of warp drives and strange electromagnetic (EM) propulsion continually bubble at the edge of scientific inquiry. These would unshackle us from the need for immense fuel loads and offer rapid journeys to the stars. And all we need to do is relax the laws of physics.
But to most scientists, these laws are not for bending, let alone breaking. As a result, suspicious eyes must be cast over the most recent claims, including from within NASA, of metallic cavities in which microwaves rattle around and produce directional thrust: the EM drive. This could provide years of non-stop propulsion. All we need to do is disregard Newton’s rules about action and reaction. It isn’t the first time such talk has caused a stir.
Why can’t the proven physics of our rockets get us there? The problem is that you have to lug the fuel with you. Look at the impressive Saturn V, which was one of the most powerful rockets ever built. It’s really just a device for hauling fuel into space and eventually landing a couple of astronauts and a few tonnes of metal on the moon, a paltry 1.25 light seconds away.
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