images

Interstellar ship diagram

by

Don Dixon/Novapix

Reference

e-ill02-00600

Date

2013-07-28

A starship 10 miles long, capable of reaching the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, is depicted in this illustration. To eliminate the structural stress and high-velocity ablation of interstellar gas and dust during the deceleration phase, the ship is designed so no turnaround maneuver is necessary. The central torus is the inhabited "seed" of this vessel, rotating at 1 revolution per minute to create centrifugal gravity for the travelers.