Return to Answer

If you are not interested in relativistic effects, the answer to your question is easy to workout. According to Wikipedia, Alpha Centauri is 4.24 ly away (4.0114x$10^{16}\mathrm{m}$). So to get there in 60 years ($1892160000\mathrm{s}$).

So your non-relativistic answer is

$v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{4.0114 \times 10^{16}}{1892160000} = 21200000 \mathrm{m}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$.

This is 21200 $\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. The fastest recored space flight was 24,791Mph which is around 11$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$ which is 0.05% of 21200$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. This means we have to be able to get spaceships to travel 2,000 times faster than the fastest current spaceship.

Note, I believe satellites in geostationary orbits do $\approx 17\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$.

Edit. The relativistic calculation can be found here.

If you are not interested in relativistic effects, the answer to your question is easy to workout. According to Wikipedia, Alpha Centauri is 4.24 ly away (4.0114x$10^{16}\mathrm{m}$). So to get there in 60 years ($1892160000\mathrm{s}$).

So your non-relativistic answer is

$v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{4.0114 \times 10^{16}}{1892160000} = 21200000 \mathrm{m}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$.

This is 21200 $\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. The fastest recored space flight was 24,791Mph which is around 11$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$ which is 0.05% of 21200$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. This means we have to be able to get spaceships to travel 2,000 times faster than the fastest current spaceship.

Note, I believe satellites in geostationary orbits do $\approx 17\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$.

Edit. The relativistic calculation can be found here.

If you are not interested in relativistic effects, the answer to your question is easy to workout. According to Wikipedia, Alpha Centauri is 4.24 ly away (4.0114x$10^{16}\mathrm{m}$). So to get there in 60 years ($1892160000\mathrm{s}$).

So your non-relativistic answer is

$v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{4.0114 \times 10^{16}}{1892160000} = 21200000 \mathrm{m}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$.

This is 21200 $\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. The fastest recored space flight was 24,791Mph which is around 11$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$ which is 0.05% of 21200$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. This means we have to be able to get spaceships to travel 2,000 times faster than the fastest current spaceship.

Note, I believe satellites in geostationary orbits do $\approx 17\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$.

If you are not interested in relativistic effects, the answer to your question is easy to workout. According to Wikipedia, Alpha Centauri is 4.24 ly away (4.0114x$10^{16}\mathrm{m}$). So to get there in 60 years ($1892160000\mathrm{s}$).

So your non-relativistic answer is

$v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{4.0114 \times 10^{16}}{1892160000} = 21200000 \mathrm{m}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$.

This is 21200 $\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. The fastest recored space flight was 24,791Mph which is around 11$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$ which is 0.05% of 21200$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. This means we have to be able to get spaceships to travel 2,000 times faster than the fastest current spaceship.

Note, I believe satellites in geostationary orbits do $\approx 17\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$.

Edit. The relativistic calculation can be found here.

If you are not interested in relativistic effects, the answer to your question is easy to workout. According to Wikipedia, Alpha Centauri is 4.24 ly away (4.0114x$10^{16}\mathrm{m}$). So to get there in 60 years ($1892160000\mathrm{s}$).

So your non-relativistic answer is

$v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{4.0114x10^{16}}{1892160000} = 21200000 \mathrm{m}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$.

This is 21200 $\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. The fastest recored space flight was 24,791Mph which is around 11$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$ which is 0.05% of 21200$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. This means we have to be able to get spaceships to travel 2,000 times faster than the fastest current spaceship.

Note, I believe satellites in geostationary orbits do $\approx 17\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$.

If you are not interested in relativistic effects, the answer to your question is easy to workout. According to Wikipedia, Alpha Centauri is 4.24 ly away (4.0114x$10^{16}\mathrm{m}$). So to get there in 60 years ($1892160000\mathrm{s}$).

So your non-relativistic answer is

$v = \frac{d}{t} = \frac{4.0114 \times 10^{16}}{1892160000} = 21200000 \mathrm{m}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$.

This is 21200 $\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. The fastest recored space flight was 24,791Mph which is around 11$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$ which is 0.05% of 21200$\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$. This means we have to be able to get spaceships to travel 2,000 times faster than the fastest current spaceship.

Note, I believe satellites in geostationary orbits do $\approx 17\mathrm{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{−1}$.