Long-Range Spaceflight

The hypothetical, probably-not-happening-anytime-soon endeavor of sending humans to other stars, requiring generation ships, suspended animation, or a fundamental rewrite of physics. Long-range spaceflight means committing to a journey that will outlast you, your children, and probably your grandchildren, all so your distant descendants can step onto a world you'll never see. It's the ultimate act of faith in the future, or the ultimate way to avoid dealing with the present, depending on how you look at it. Also, someone has to figure out how to have babies in zero G, which is a research grant someone definitely applied for.

*Example: "He volunteered for a long-range spaceflight mission to a nearby star—200 years, generation ship, no return. When asked why, he said Earth was fine but he'd always wanted to see what was out there, even if 'seeing' meant his great-great-grandchildren would be the ones doing the seeing. His current family was less enthusiastic about being space colonists by descent."*

Long-Range Spaceflight by Abzugal February 14, 2026