odds of everything being aligned in such a way that we can take several years to do gravity assists are incredibly low.
Project Lyra develops concepts for reaching interstellar objects such as 1I / 'Oumuamua and 2I / Borisov with a spacecraft, based on near-term technologies. [0]
Several technology options are outlined, ranging from a close solar Oberth Maneuver using chemical propulsion, and the more advanced options of solar and laser sails. [1]
It occurs to me since survivability isn't a problem for an unmanned probe, that a "cold" nuclear thermal engine vehicle could be used as a loitering interceptor: get it a solar orbit, and leave it till you see a target, then accelerate up to extra-solar escape velocity.
It solves the disposal problem neatly, since the probe and reactor are both leaving the solar system forever afterwards.
Comments
Project Lyra develops concepts for reaching interstellar objects such as 1I / 'Oumuamua and 2I / Borisov with a spacecraft, based on near-term technologies. [0]
Several technology options are outlined, ranging from a close solar Oberth Maneuver using chemical propulsion, and the more advanced options of solar and laser sails. [1]
0. https://i4is.org/what-we-do/technical/project-lyra/
1. https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.03155
It occurs to me since survivability isn't a problem for an unmanned probe, that a "cold" nuclear thermal engine vehicle could be used as a loitering interceptor: get it a solar orbit, and leave it till you see a target, then accelerate up to extra-solar escape velocity.
It solves the disposal problem neatly, since the probe and reactor are both leaving the solar system forever afterwards.