Researchers at NASA recently announced the discovery of another planet about 95% the size of Earth that is 100 light-years away and could potentially sustain life.

Could this new discovery lead to humans one day traveling to planet TOI 700 e and enjoying its resources, such as the potential for liquid water? This is a question people may naturally ask, but they may not like the current answer.

“That is not going to happen in our lifetimes, but it is fascinating to discuss,” says Dr. Hank Pernicka, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of aerospace engineering at Missouri S&T. “This planet is 100 light-years away. That means if we developed a spacecraft to go the speed of light, it would still take 100 years to reach this destination.”

The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. Pernicka, who is an expert in spacecraft design, says the first issue to consider would be getting a vehicle to reach the speeds necessary for interstellar travel.

“There would be lots of showstoppers with this, the first of which is even getting that fast,” he says. “The concept of a light-year and the distance involved in this travel is mind blowing.”

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