Oooh, this is just what I need for a WIP that I played around with then put aside for lack of know-how! Thanks for the link
Posted by micmcd (Member # 7977) on :
I just signed on specifically to post this article
The most interesting thing I got from it was the need for gyroscopes for any maneuverability in space. I cheat with artificial localized gravity fields in one of my stories (they are directly caused by the FTL drive, and in fact are how FTL got invented -- side effect of theories on how to make gravity), but those fields wouldn't make it easy to reorient yourself in space.
I don't have giant space battles in my space-WIP, so the difficulties of orbital battles don't hurt me. Neal Stephenson did quite a bit of this in Anathem, though, if anyone is intersted.
Posted by goldhawk (Member # 8826) on :
Sigh. The thing about that article is that after a spaceship has spent all the energy necessary to go to another star, it's going to be very conservative in it's energy use once it gets there. It's going to muck around with transfer orbits and not just point in the direction it wants to go and turn its engine on. At 1G, it takes 18 days to get to Pluto. Point the ship at where Pluto will be in 18 days and turn the engine on. Half way there, flip over and decelerate. No orbit mechanics needed.
Posted by Dark Warrior (Member # 8822) on :
I subscribe to the Star Trek/Star Wars implied technology guidelines. Anti-Gravity and many tech issues (e.g. AI) have been used so often, that unless the technology is integral to the story I dont explain it...it is implied by the reader.
Posted by Dark Warrior (Member # 8822) on :
btw...a cable channel, I think Discovery, did a show on future tech that was pretty good. It described future space battle and weapons technology (e.g. Kinetic Rods). If I can find the show I will link it. I dont have television (money saving decision while building a house) so I saw it a while ago in a hotel room.
Btw...it looks like this article is a copy of a lot of the same info that was on the show this past summer...without the cool digital effects.
[This message has been edited by Dark Warrior (edited December 18, 2009).]
Posted by Kitti (Member # 7277) on :
I was over on another site that just started up a thread about this exact same article. Great minds think alike! :-) Anyway, they also references this site on space warfare in science fiction, which looked interesting:
