Editing Interstellar travel (section)

==== Rockets with an external energy source ====
Rockets deriving their power from external sources, such as a [[laser]], could replace their internal energy source with an energy collector, potentially reducing the mass of the ship greatly and allowing much higher travel speeds. [[Geoffrey A. Landis]] proposed an [[interstellar probe]] propelled by an [[ion thruster]] powered by the energy beamed to it from a base station laser.<ref>{{cite conference | url= http://www.geoffreylandis.com/laser_ion_pres.htp | title= Laser-powered Interstellar Probe | author= Landis, Geoffrey A. | conference= Conference on Practical Robotic Interstellar Flight | location= NY University, New York, NY | date= 29 August 1994 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131002200923/http://www.geoffreylandis.com/laser_ion_pres.htp | archive-date= 2 October 2013 }}</ref> Lenard and Andrews proposed using a base station laser to accelerate nuclear fuel pellets towards a [[Mini-Mag Orion]] spacecraft that ignites them for propulsion.<ref>{{cite journal | title= Use of Mini-Mag Orion and superconducting coils for near-term interstellar transportation | author1= Lenard, Roger X. | author2= Andrews, Dana G. | journal= Acta Astronautica | date= June 2007 | volume= 61 | issue= 1–6 | url= http://www.space-nation.org/images/a/a1/Mini-Mag_Orion_and_superconducting_coils_for_near-term_interstellar_transportation_LenardAndrews.pdf | doi= 10.1016/j.actaastro.2007.01.052 | pages= 450–458 | bibcode= 2007AcAau..61..450L | access-date= 2013-11-24 | archive-date= 2014-06-17 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140617053903/http://www.space-nation.org/images/a/a1/Mini-Mag_Orion_and_superconducting_coils_for_near-term_interstellar_transportation_LenardAndrews.pdf | url-status= dead }}</ref>