These Are the Vagaries of the Starship Enterprise
A mysterious systems engineer going by the handle BTE Dan has launched a website with a detailed prescription for the construction of a real-life Starship Enterprise.
BuildTheEnterprise.org features everything from NASA-inspired building specs to Congressional funding proposals, and breaks down the project timeline to 20 years.
“We have the technological reach to build the first generation of the spaceship known as the USS Enterprise – so let’s do it,” writes the website's curator.
An idea like this is bound to raise a few eyebrows, but the author insists that, aside from the fancier features like warp drive and transporters, much of the technology is already within our grasp.
“It ends up that this ship configuration is quite functional,” BTE Dan argues. Even though his design moves a few practical things around, it's remarkably faithful to the fictional Enterprise's look.
The ship would be capable of moving between Earth, the Moon, and Mars, with the longer of these trips taking only 90 days. It would also function as an orbital platform and dock for satellites and other space craft.
Supplying the operation would start with getting the materials to the job site, which would be in space. This would allow construction to be undertaken without all that pesky gravity - the bane of crane operators and tower builders the world over. In fact, if built, the ship would represent the largest human monument in history.
Let's boldly go.
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