For the settlement of another planet need 40 thousand people

Researchers previously believed that several hundred people will be enough to establish interstellar settlement on an alien planet or near it. However, they later decided to revise this figure. After the death of a large number of crew members in the event of an unforeseen disaster could threaten the entire mission, writes the edition Space.

In April in the journal Acta Astronautica appeared a study in which an anthropologist Cameron Smith of Portland state University in the us state of Oregon was considering an interstellar journey lasting about 150 years. These terms are consistent with the calculations of the non-profit organization Icarus Interstellar, which together with DARPA, NASA, and the Foundation for Enterprise Development is planning of flying to distant stars. Project Starship Project announced in January 2012, aims to send a manned interstellar travel by 2112.

To achieve this goal will require a number of technologies, including technology curvature of space-time, allowing in short terms to overcome the interstellar distances at speeds above the speed of light. The project also involves the construction of Autonomous spacecraft-of the colony. To date, NASA and DARPA individually invested in this project of 100 thousand and $ 1 million, respectively.



The calculations of Smith-which he cited at a recent event NASA Future In-Space Operations (FISO) is based on the theory of population genetics and computer modeling. Perfect, "safe", according to the scientist, is the figure of 40 thousand people, of which 23 thousand are men and women of reproductive age.

This figure may seem large, but it is justified. This number will allow you to avoid migratsionnyh crossings, to ensure the highest genetic diversity, to take into account demographic changes and to survive at least one serious disaster, the article says. 40 thousand people can ensure the health of the population in five generations.

Smith cites an analogy from the real world: to maintain vertebrate species on the Earth need to proceed from 7 thousand individuals. The reduction of this number leads to the gradual disappearance of the species. There are genetic causes.

As a fallback, the researcher offers to send with the ship frozen eggs and sperm for subsequent cultivation of people in space. However, this option was not seriously considered in his article.

Such arguments relate to and colonization of Mars. The more people fly to the Red planet, the greater the chance for successful colonization.

For interstellar travel would require a completely new technology. The increase in the speed of modern spacecraft a thousand times, according to the scientist, will allow us to get to the nearest to the earth, the star Proxima Centauri from the last 140 years.

Source: planetologia.ru/