Sub-Orbital Space Flights & Satellite Exploration
most notably Robert Heinlein in “Universe”, Arthur C Clarke in “Rendezvous With Rama”, and Van Vogt in “Far Centaurus”. Heinlein’s colonists lived in an enclosed habitat. Their society declined over time, and eventually they forgot that they lived on an artificial structure. Rama’s aliens, their nature and motives were never fully revealed but Clarke hinted at suspended-animation techniques used to survive the long journey. Van Vogt’s colonists finally arrive at their destination after centuries …
Tags: L-5, Island-One, L5, Island-Two
Totally cool….Love it. 5/5… Let me ask you this…Do you think it would be possible to build a ship the size of Rama if it were to be built in space?
I notice yuo’re using a Bussard ramjet. What do you envisage the maximum speed to be because if it is capable of relativistic speeds you wouln’t need the generation ship concept…….
I’m no rocket scientist, but the basic premise is that interstellar hydrogen is captured using magnetic fields, which direct the particles to a “pinch” in the field where the hydrogen particles are compressed together to generate a rudimentary fusion reaction. I imagine the efficiency would be pretty low. Maybe around a few % c? Slow acceleration/deceleration coz its such a massive payload. Not exactly relativistic but probably would get time dilation effects :]
Wow, clear back in ’80 I used to do illustrations of similar models for the L5 newsletter for the University of Cincinnati chapter. I was so hyped about it then and still am.
youknow if they had kept all the large spent fuel tanks up in orbit they could’ve joinedthem with an elbow.flexible joint and mad aspacestation from that…like as in 2001movie