Which of the following describes a major danger of interstellar travel at near- light speed?
A)Time dilation will slow the heart beats of the crew to a dangerously low rate.
B)Any interstellar journey will take much longer than the lives of the crew members.
C)Asteroid fields floating in interstellar space will present a navigational challenge.
D)Atoms and ions in interstellar space will hit a fast- moving spacecraft like a flood of dangerous cosmic rays.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At near-light speed, even individual atoms and ions in interstellar space can have a large amount of kinetic energy and can hit a fast-moving spacecraft like a flood of dangerous cosmic rays, which can damage or even destroy the vessel and harm the crew. This is known as interstellar debris or radiation danger. Time dilation (A) and the length of the journey (B) are challenges associated with interstellar travel, but they are not necessarily "dangers" as they do not pose an immediate threat to the crew or the spacecraft. Asteroid fields (C) could also present a navigational challenge, but they are not specific to interstellar space and can be encountered in our own solar system.

Which of the Following Describes a Major Danger of Interstellar