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Universe Today
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Antimatter Propulsion Is Still Far Away, But It Could Change Everything
- Getting to places in space quickly has been the goal for propulsion research, and antimatter could be the answer. Antimatter is the rarest substance in the universe and theoretically could power a crewed mission to another star in a single human lifetime.
- Antimatter is tricky to work with since it will self-annihilate with anything it comes into contact with, and the longest it has been contained is about 16 minutes.
- A ship could contain enough antimatter to intentionally create an annihilation explosion, using the relativistic particles as a form of thrust and potentially using the gamma rays as a source of power.
- Antiprotons would have 100 times greater energy density than a nuclear fission or fusion reactor.
- It takes absurd amounts of energy to create antimatter, making it expensive. It costs over $4M at average electricity rates, making it one of the most expensive substances on Earth
- Antimatter research is relatively limited, with around 100-125 papers per year being produced on the subject.
- It will probably be some time before we end up with an antimatter ship drive. Preliminary energy-producing technologies such as fusion that could significantly lower energy cost may be needed.
- The possibility of achieving the goal of traveling at near-relativistic speeds and potentially getting actual humans to another star is an ambitious goal that space and exploration enthusiasts will continue to pursue, no matter how long it takes.
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