Whether your characters are sunjamming the solar wind or sleeping for centuries between the stars, how you present their spacecraft lends authenticity to your fictional world. In this Research for Writers seminar, we will explore the real-life physics of interstellar travel—-the hazards, the distances, and some of the solutions proposed to overcome them. We will survey a wide variety of starship designs proposed for extrasolar missions, from nuclear-pulse and beamed-energy propulsion to fusion ramjets, quantum thrusters and interstellar sails. We will examine the impacts of interstellar travel on human physiology and psychology, and we will consider the economics of starship construction and operation. We will conclude with an overview of more exotic methods of interstellar travel, including wormholes, artificial planetoids, and even real-life warp drive.

Please note: This class is an online class. To participate, students must have a stable internet connection with a computer or device with a webcam and microphone.