Astronomy still provides useful insights regardless of whether we can reach those places or not.
That said, we are indeed researching ever more advanced propulsion technologies!
We've made great strides in electric propulsion, which is far more efficient for long voyages than chemical rockets. This tech is already in wide use today in satellites and probes of all kinds.
We're ramping up research in nuclear rocket propulsion again. There are several branches here: nuclear electric, nuclear thermal and nuclear pulse. Of these, the last one is the least developed since it basically means using nuclear explosions to boost you, but it has the most promise for futuristic spaceship drives.
There's also the possibility of using antimater pulse drives but that's a hairy can of worms. Very hard to produce the fuel in enough quantities.
That said, we are indeed researching ever more advanced propulsion technologies!
We've made great strides in electric propulsion, which is far more efficient for long voyages than chemical rockets. This tech is already in wide use today in satellites and probes of all kinds.
We're ramping up research in nuclear rocket propulsion again. There are several branches here: nuclear electric, nuclear thermal and nuclear pulse. Of these, the last one is the least developed since it basically means using nuclear explosions to boost you, but it has the most promise for futuristic spaceship drives.
There's also the possibility of using antimater pulse drives but that's a hairy can of worms. Very hard to produce the fuel in enough quantities.