What is the Best Sustainable Energy for Future Travel?

Sustainable Energy for Travel

Written by Ljiljana Grudenic

Sustainable Energy is our Human goal for future longevity. By using our sense of understanding, and reflecting on Einstein first law of thermodynamics, also known as the Law of Conservation of Energy, humanity can one day travel further in the future.

Energy can only be converted from one form to another, but cannot be created nor destroyed. In summary, the conservation of Energy works in all sphere of life. In space, there is no atmosphere, so the sunlight waves are undiluted. As more aerospace engineers continue to design more efficient travelling equipment using solar panels and cells during the orbit it will automatically generate more power as the equivalent panel on Earth.

The best source of energy for spacecraft is the electromagnetic energy as light waves from the stars. Engineers have developed and used technologies to convert solar energy to electrical power efficiently. Solar arrays that convert energy to electricity on the International Space Station are made of thousands of solar cells, made from purified chunks of the element silicon.

One day, our future electric rockets with an external power source (transmissible through laser on the photovoltaic panels) has a theoretical possibility for interstellar flight. However, electric propulsion is not suitable for launches from the Earth's surface, as it offers too little thrust. Therefore, increasing energy once located in the universe will provide converted energy to farther distances.