A couple thoughts on places to look for ideas, places where people have probably been thinking about similar challenges:
Interstellar Travel There’s a lot of speculation about feasibility here, and I think people generally assume the need for some sort of long-term, low-power cryogenic preservation. They do assume access to interstellar vacuum, though.
DNA “arks” and similar biodiversity libraries. I haven’t heard of anything in this space looking at zero- or low-maintenance preservation, but maybe there’s a paranoid fringe?
If you’re in interstellar space, i.e. travelling to another star, the inverse square law and the large distances very quickly kill radiation heat from either the destination or origin star.
However, if (as Vladimir suggested) you want to stay close to the sun, i.e. in earth orbit, you have to use a reflective shield.
A couple thoughts on places to look for ideas, places where people have probably been thinking about similar challenges:
Interstellar Travel There’s a lot of speculation about feasibility here, and I think people generally assume the need for some sort of long-term, low-power cryogenic preservation. They do assume access to interstellar vacuum, though.
DNA “arks” and similar biodiversity libraries. I haven’t heard of anything in this space looking at zero- or low-maintenance preservation, but maybe there’s a paranoid fringe?
And presumably also interstellar temperatures of 3 degrees above absolute zero!
I think GreenRoot refers to the situation where this isn’t available, or they wouldn’t have to worry about cryogenic preservation.
That doesn’t make sense to me. Space is cold. You can’t be doing interstellar travel and not have access to cold.
I understand. I was thinking
..but I’m misjudging relative distances? That is, a spaceship wouldn’t spend sufficient time near stars?
If you’re in interstellar space, i.e. travelling to another star, the inverse square law and the large distances very quickly kill radiation heat from either the destination or origin star.
However, if (as Vladimir suggested) you want to stay close to the sun, i.e. in earth orbit, you have to use a reflective shield.