RTGs lose power rapidly as the isotopes decay, and any sort of communication over those distances requires massive power. The Voyagers are essentially dead due to this issue, and they haven’t been out there nearly that long.

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4 days ago | parent | next [-]

[deleted]

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no_wizard 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

What about a fission reactor?

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lazide 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

It would likely need a standalone fission reactor that only ‘goes hot’ when it arrives.

I’m not sure that we have the engineering ability to actually do that with any real chance of success after a 100 year deep space flight, or the willingness to wait that long to find out.

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ekianjo 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

That runs for dozens of years without maintenance? And how do you dissipate the heat?

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yread 4 days ago | parent [-]

Open the rear end and you get propulsion as well. Just don't start close to earth

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sfink 3 days ago | parent [-]

You still need matter to carry the heat, and matter is heavy (by definition!) Radiating the heat isn't going to be enough if you want to send anything other than a blob of plasma.

Which is an interesting thought when considered as a weapon. Fire a self-immolating fission reactor at your target...

	▲	lazide 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		I miss the days when a Bussard Ramjet was a viable dream. Also, if there are aliens there, sending a highly radioactive blob of plasma at them at interstellar speeds might cause a little trouble.