A rather large interplanetary ship

In summary, the conversation discusses the creation of a ship for interplanetary travel in a double-star system with civilizations at a bronze age level. The ship is designed to carry around 200 people and utilizes a spherical module with lead shielding for protection. The ship will spin during the journey to create artificial gravity and will use nuclear salt water rockets for propulsion. The use of NSWRs is controversial, but other options would require a massive amount of fuel. The conversation also mentions the need for additional equipment and the calculations involved in designing the ship. The individual involved also requests feedback and suggestions for improvement.
  • #1
SMJB
Right, this is for the same universe as the "Two Planets" thread. To reiterate the backstory, the star system was colonized by an interstellar human civilization at some point in the future, but that civilization fell, the colony worlds were set back to the bronze age, civilizations rose, and now I've got to make one of them cross interplanetary distances with roughly modern technology.

So now I'm designing a ship. That may seem simple, as we've got stuff on the drawing board for craft that would take us to Mars and suchlike, but there's a couple of added wrinkles. Firstly, the worlds are far farther apart than that--this is a double-star system, and world A orbits a different component than world B. The other is that a lot of people are being sent. The stars won't be this close together again for thirty-odd years (because of the way they orbit their barycenter), so if the nation that's doing this wants to pull a march on its competitors, it's got to get everything there now.

There are ~200 people being sent. Not enough for a viable colony, but they're assuming they can interbreed with the natives (rather than them having been genetically engineered for their environment, which is possible as far as they're aware).

I've decided to cram them all tightly into a spherical module; after calculating the weight of the lead shielding (there's other forms of shielding, but that'll be the most massive), it was apparent that that was the only viable option. (I figured the dimensions out, but I don't have it on hand.) The ship is a spinning bola; considering the length of its journey, and that the destination planet has gravity that's higher than the homeworld, gravity's a necessity, and this is the easiest way to do it. Once the ship has been accelerated to speed, it'll spin 90 degrees to the angle of thrust, extend the hab section at the end of a tether, and start spinning. (I gave myself quite a headache trying to balance the two sections before realizing, literally just today, that not only was it not necessary, I'm actually better off not doing so--if the "rear" is many times more massive than the "front" the barycenter will be closer to the rear, and therefore the tether doesn't need to be as long as it would otherwise be. Derp.) There's also a whole bunch of equipment that they'll need, but I haven't gotten around to massing that yet.

Not real happy with the fact that I'm forced to use nuclear salt water rockets, given that there's controversy around that concept, but nothing else has the ability to make the journey (about 30 or so AU) in the time I need without having a mass ratio of ridiculous, and even so I find my self having to stage the sons of bitches.

So, does all this check out, or are these the ramblings of a madman? Got any way I can weasel out of using the NSWRs (no disrespect to Dr. Zubrin)? Any other thoughts or concerns?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
You're going to need to provide numbers. How much does your ship mass unfueled for a start? Then you'll need to get a figure for exhaust velocity and decide on a cruise speed. Using the rocket equation you can find out how much fuel you need and then work out how fast the ship can accelerate.
 

1. What is the purpose of a rather large interplanetary ship?

The purpose of a rather large interplanetary ship is to transport humans and cargo across vast distances in space. These ships are equipped with advanced technology and resources to sustain life during long journeys between planets.

2. How big is a rather large interplanetary ship?

The size of a rather large interplanetary ship can vary, but they are typically several hundred meters in length and can hold thousands of people. They are designed to be self-sufficient and can sustain life for extended periods of time.

3. How is a rather large interplanetary ship powered?

A rather large interplanetary ship is powered by advanced propulsion systems, such as nuclear or ion thrusters, that allow it to travel at high speeds through space. They also have backup power sources, such as solar panels, in case of emergencies.

4. How long does it take for a rather large interplanetary ship to reach its destination?

The time it takes for a rather large interplanetary ship to reach its destination depends on the distance it needs to travel and its speed. It can take anywhere from a few months to several years to reach a distant planet.

5. How do astronauts live on a rather large interplanetary ship?

Astronauts on a rather large interplanetary ship live in specialized living quarters that are designed to mimic Earth's atmosphere and provide essential resources such as oxygen, water, and food. They also have access to recreational areas and exercise equipment to maintain their physical and mental well-being during the journey.

Similar threads

Writing: Input Wanted Clone Ship vs. Generation Ship
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
30
Views
2K
Writing: Input Wanted Captain's choices on colony ships
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
2
Replies
52
Views
4K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
3
Replies
96
Views
5K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
22
Views
2K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
30
Views
6K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
3
Views
2K
Back
Top