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AlexanderHowl · 09-13-2019, 05:41 AM

The problem is differences in delta-v and vector. Galactic escape velocity in our neighborhood is ~540 km/s, and we are talking about traveling ~15,000 km/s, so you would likely need to burn massive amounts of reaction mass to explore a wandering object. If it is not sharing the same vector, the problem is only magnified, so I think that most rogue object will be avoided rather than explored by interstellar STL missions. They are likely fairly common (a couple hundred per cubic light-year) and quite dangerous navigation hazards though.

09-13-2019, 05:41 AM	#31
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: Realistic STL Interstellar Missions The problem is differences in delta-v and vector. Galactic escape velocity in our neighborhood is ~540 km/s, and we are talking about traveling ~15,000 km/s, so you would likely need to burn massive amounts of reaction mass to explore a wandering object. If it is not sharing the same vector, the problem is only magnified, so I think that most rogue object will be avoided rather than explored by interstellar STL missions. They are likely fairly common (a couple hundred per cubic light-year) and quite dangerous navigation hazards though.