Self sustaining - nope, that's why they needed so much tankage. Even though the cola/uncola mutual annihilation of Coke and 7-Up cultured liquid wavium provides pretty close to 80% efficient conversion of mass to energy fuel was still the biggest problem, and they've had to go ice-mining a couple of times to replace lost water and oxygen, and atmosphere skimming once for nitrogen and CO2.
As for top speed, just adjust the distance out so they need two years to come back, at whatever speed they're running.
The thing about sending ships with carefully 'wave-free astronomy equipment out on long trips in order to look back past Sol and "into the past" was what actually led to the whole concept - the ability to get modern astronomy equipment inposition to take pictures of things that are only known from the account of some dude looking up at the desert sky, or a royal astronomer in the Celestial Emperor's court, just has to be making any number of skywatchers drool.
- CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
For the next 72 hours, Itachi intoned, I will slap you with this trout. - Spying no Jutsu, chapter 3
"In the futuristic taco bell of the year 20XX, justice wears an aluminum sombrero!"hemlock-martini
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
As for top speed, just adjust the distance out so they need two years to come back, at whatever speed they're running.
The thing about sending ships with carefully 'wave-free astronomy equipment out on long trips in order to look back past Sol and "into the past" was what actually led to the whole concept - the ability to get modern astronomy equipment inposition to take pictures of things that are only known from the account of some dude looking up at the desert sky, or a royal astronomer in the Celestial Emperor's court, just has to be making any number of skywatchers drool.
- CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
For the next 72 hours, Itachi intoned, I will slap you with this trout. - Spying no Jutsu, chapter 3
"In the futuristic taco bell of the year 20XX, justice wears an aluminum sombrero!"hemlock-martini
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows