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From: Gocek.Henr@PARC-MAXC.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Interstellar manned spaceflight this century
Message-ID: <15169@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Jan-84 13:15:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15169
Posted: Fri Jan  6 13:15:00 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Jan-84 04:42:27 EST
Lines: 18

Someone recently commented that manned, interstellar flights would be
made before the turn of the century.  I agree that the technology will
be available, and the question of "Why?" doesn't bother me.  The problem
is that, assuming that faster-than-light travel is not available, by the
time the space travellers get anywhere in their 20th century ship, they
will have been passed by 21st century travellers using more advanced,
21st century transportation systems.  The early travellers would waste
several years, only to arrive at an already established colony.

It's one thing to test out hardware in orbital missions or earth-moon
missions, but missions that never return are another story.  That's why
it was feasible to send Mercury crafts into space, rather than simply
waiting for the space shuttle.  Interstellar travel is a situation where
I think we should wait for reasonable technology.  The first oceanic
crossing wasn't in a canoe.  The first manned, deep space crossing
shouldn't be in a primitive craft either.

Gary