The science of fiction

Fans across the world are now flocking to the latest installment in the Star Wars universe, "The Force Awakens" directed by J J Abrams. Judging by initial reports, the franchise's latest episode seems to be doing rather well at the box office.

Be it cinema or television, we seem to be having a limitless fascination with science fiction (Sci-fi) in general and space travel stories in particular. I can vividly remember watching with utter fascination the likes of Blake's 7, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, V, Buck Rogers and Doctor Who, as a curious schoolchild. It is a fascination I still have and now I do have many science fiction titles in my home video collection.

Corners

Man may have actually travelled only to the Moon, but in these movies and TV series mankind has travelled much, much further to the far corners of the universe. In Star Trek, they dared to travel "where no man has ever gone before" and in Star Wars, the action takes place in a galaxy "far, far away". But before travelling to the ends of the universe, mankind has to first go to near Earth space and the nearest planet - Mars.

Alfonso Cuaron's cinematic masterpiece Gravity (starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock) and Ridley Scott's recent smash hit The Martian (starring Matt Damon in the titular role) explored two such attempts which go horribly wrong - which is not far off the mark considering the spate of actual disasters from Apollo 13 (itself the subject of a very good movie) to the Challenger tragedy.

Asteroid

Bruce Willis detonated an asteroid that was to hit the Earth in Armageddon while in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar Matthew McConaughey is on a mission to find another planet to ensure the survival of mankind after Earth becomes uninhabitable. Alien and Prometheus explored the deep fathoms of space inhabited by creepy alien creatures.

In fact, the theme of alien life (and alien invasion) is an all-time favourite of movie makers, depicted in countless A and B movies including Avatar, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Thing, Predator, Signs, War of the Worlds, Independence Day, MIB, District 9, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Transformers. Even Superman is about an alien who finally calls Earth home.

These are not the only themes explored in science fiction movies and TV series. Time Travel (Back to the Future, anyone?), Artificial Intelligence (AI, Ex-Machina and 2001), Robotics (Robocop, I Robot) Evolution (Planet of the Apes. Jurassic Park), Global Catastrophe as a result of climate change (2012, The Day After Tomorrow), Global catastrophe as a result of disease (World War Z, Contagion), Superheroes (Avengers, X-Men, Spider Man, Man of Steel) and even the core of the Earth itself (The Core, Journey to the Centre of the Earth).

Even as movie makers continue to explore these themes, what are the scientists doing to make concepts such as artificial intelligence, space travel and alien contact happen for real ? The answer is, they are doing a lot of research.

Predictions

We have to remember that many science fiction predictions have come true. Among them were credit and debit cards, war tanks, communications satellites, headphones, television, video conferencing, bionics, X-ray, CCTV cameras, flying cars (yes, they do exist) and electric cars. Thus one cannot dismiss out of hand even seemingly far-fetched concepts such as deep space travel, given the current levels of interest and investment in these fields.

For example, leading companies such as Toyota and Tesla have recently invested in Artificial Intelligence Research. The latter will be part of a group of prominent Silicon Valley investors and technology companies that are establishing a US$ 1 billion artificial-intelligence research center to develop 'digital intelligence' that will benefit humanity. Robotics, that other essential component of AI is also progressing well.

Both these will be essential for space travel - we have already sent a good number of robotic probes to explore the Solar System and beyond. It is generally believed that robots with AI will find another habitable planet well before we do. But when Man eventually is ready to take on intergalactic distances Star Trek style, will he have access to similar warp drives?

Scientists are already at work on advanced space propulsion systems. Most of NASA's space probes are powered by a combination of nuclear and solar power. Will it be possible to repeat the same techniques for manned spacecraft which will necessarily be much bigger and have more power requirements?

Contracts

In fact, three American companies have been awarded contracts by NASA to aid in the development of propulsion systems intended for use in future manned deep-space missions.

NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES), itself a division of Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), is committed to "rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities, and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit," according to its website.

To help reach this goal, NASA has awarded contracts to Ad Astra Rocket Company, Aerojet Rocketdyne and MSNW to develop "propulsion technology systems in the 50-to 300-kW range to meet the needs of a variety of deep-space mission concepts beyond capabilities currently being developed for ARM (Asteroid Return Mission). Among the names for propulsion systems being tossed around are Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, Lorentz Force Ion Thruster and Nested Hall Thruster.

Moreover, Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines are also developing a new aerospace engine class that combines both jet and rocket technologies.

They call it the greatest advance in propulsion since the jet engine; potentially revolutionizing hypersonic flight and dramatically reducing the cost of space access.

Mission

Efforts to develop next-generation propulsion systems come as NASA gears up for a manned mission to Mars planned for the 2030s. The propulsion contracts are only three of 22 public-private partnerships that are expected to produce essential technology for future exploration of the solar system and beyond.

These are pretty much meaningless at present to the average Joe, but are very promising technologies that may one day help us to go beyond the Solar System. This may seem like a waste of money, but humankind will benefit immensely if they can find life and habitable planets elsewhere in the Universe.