Rocket to the Stars

Constant acceleration across the galaxy

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• At constant 1 g, rapidity grows steadily while speed approaches c.
• Crew time grows only logarithmically with distance: the galactic centre in about 20 years.
• The fuel cost grows exponentially with the rapidity change.

Steps

1. One g, forever
2. Where can you go?
3. The nearest star
4. The catch
5. Two years at 1 g
6. To Andromeda