I have always been fascinated by our universe, almost every night when it is possible I look up into the sky and think of all the endless possibilities for mankind out there. Imagining that every star we see basically belongs to another solar system with the possibility or planets orbiting around them.
But returning to reality, we as humans never went further than our moon. However, some time ago the artist Reinloch designed a spaceship capable of making the manned journey to Mars. This was accomplished by all the greatest minds the world had to offer. Although it doesn't stay with that. The ISEMARS foundation where it all started with, was looking to build a second ship. By 2020 the United States chipped in with the project, now together with the European, Russian, Chinese and Japanese space agencies.
And so after 16 years of construction on both earth and earth's orbit the ES Aurora was finished. It was the most complex structure ever built by man, as well as the most expensive, with estimated costs of up to 1400 billion US Dollars. What we had created was a massive spaceship capable of exploring the universe with speeds that where a few years ago imagined impossible.
![[ img ]](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/Vossiej/ESM1.png)
Specifications
Length: 273.8m
Maximal module diameter: 18.2m
Maximal span across: 108.4m
Weight: 87.400 tons
Mission details
Type: Manned exploration of our solar system's planets and beyond
Duration: up to 7400 days (20 years)
Participating countries: US, Europe, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain
Crew: 32 crew and up to 30 scientists (in total max. 66)
Vehicles: 4 landers, 4 docking gates for Orion/Soyuz
Propulsion
Reactor: Second generation magnetic confinement (GMC) reactor
Engines: 6x 120MW Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rockets (VASIMR)
Top speed: 834.400 km/h (80% light speed)
The ship is capable of remaining in space for over 7000 days. This is accomplished by all the lessons learned in the history of manned space exploration. The Aurora is the first ever spaceship that houses a community on board, with private area's, relaxation area's and so on. She is also the first to have a fully functioning greenhouse on board, growing genetically modified crops in NASA's low-mass Inflatable Aeroponics System.
The Aurora's first mission is currently underway, last year (2041) she fired her engines for the first time towards the most far out body in our solar system; Pluto. She recently supplied the manned base on Mars and is scheduled to arrive near Pluto in January 2043. Once arrived a crew of 6 will descend on Pluto's surface looking for traces of the micro-bacteria, which the expedition of the ES Archimedes found on Mars in 2036.
Her second mission is planned for 2048, when she will embark on a journey towards the Alpha Centauri system to explore the earth-like exoplanet that was discovered many years ago. This trip will test the ship's maximum capabilities, as it will take up to 6 years to get there, and is the first manned expedition outside our solar system.
That was my fantasy displayed in a drawing, now getting back to watching the sitcom ''Chuck''
Ps. I know the space shuttle would be dead for over 30 years by than, but it is just to display the size of the ship.
. Just think of it is possible.
