Building a real starship Enterprise

[Smivs]

Well, somebody reckons it could be done now, but without the warp drive.
Bonkers or brilliant...you decide.

[Diziet Sma]

Without the warp drive, there isn't any point in doing it..

[JensAyton]

Without the warp drive, there isn't any point in doing it..

A reusable, nuclear powered ion drive interplanetary ship would be a gigantic step up from anything that’s been done to date – months instead of years to Mars, manned flight further than that a serious possibility, etc.

Building it as a 3.5:1 scale model of the Enterprise (that’s scaled up, mind) is perhaps not the most practical approach. And I’m not convinced it really needs a death ray.

[Smivs]

Without the warp drive, there isn't any point in doing it..

A reusable, nuclear powered ion drive interplanetary ship would be a gigantic step up from anything that’s been done to date – months instead of years to Mars, manned flight further than that a serious possibility, etc.

That is the part that really caught my attention. It would make manned exploration of the solar system viable. The 'Enterprise' shape is almost certainly not necessary, but if it fires the imagination enough to get the project underway, then great!