A Review Of Interstellar Rocketry Fundamentals*

B. M. Oliver. (1990), JBIS, 43, pp.259-264

Refcode: 1990.43.259

Abstract:

In assessing the ultimate capabilities of rockets as interstellar vehicles it is helpful to ignore all limitations imposed by our present technology and to retain only those imposed by natural law. Progress in technology will allow us to approach but not exceed the limits found in this way. Although the performance of ordinary rockets is seriously affected by gravity, ordinary gravitational potential energies are completely negligible compared with relativistic kinetic energies for the ship so we can ignore gravity throughout. We will initially consider only rockets that start out with all the fuel and propellant needed for the entire journey then assess the benefits of refueling en route. The limiting efficiencies are quite high, which means that alternative methods of propulsion are attractive only if they offer a free source of energy.