Can Battlestar Galactica's Maneuvers be Realistic?

[paulf]

In the remake of the battlestar galactica the ships spin around almost instantly and stop with a thrust in the opposite direction. Is this possible like its done on the show cause i may not be physicist but it looks like it would require a certain amount of time to not only slowdown but to turn as well. Thanks in advance...

 

[cesiumfrog]

Do you mean the battlestars, or vipers?

The viper battles tend to look pretty realistic, in my opinion, but physicists currently have to suspend disbelief to enjoy any show in which FTL drive is a plot element. Incidentally, I tend to think Firefly did a better job..

 

[mineys]

I agree more with the physics of Firefly, but I like Battlestar Galactica almost as much.

 

[LURCH]

It is possible for objects to change direction of rotation as quickly as depicted in those scenes. The fighters would have to be structurally quite strong (which is generally true for contemperary jet-fighters), and the pilots would undergo considreable physical stresses.

 

[DaxInvader]

Well.. Each time 2 spacecraft s encounter each other (Mostly Star Trek : TNG and others) They always encounter face to face... Nose to nose.. Exactly in the same angle and opposite directions... When traveling into space, Your orientation becomes useless. I understand they have computers and all.. But anyway. Its like there was a ceiling and a floor in space... and that's not true.

 

[Danger]

Your orientation becomes useless

While that is proper, I can see that for navigation purposes, it makes sense to have an 'up' and 'down'. That allows consistency of relative bearings to other locations. In a universe full of space-farers, it can also help maintain traffic control.

And what are you doing in my van?

 

[DaxInvader]

In a universe full of space-farers, it can also help maintain traffic control.

Of Course I understand... But with speacies (Is that it?) Light years away... How could they possibly have chosen the same "up" and "down"?

Even thought.. How do you determine it?


Btw Danger... Hotels costs too much so I found that Van... Near the Twillight Zone...

 

[DaveC426913]

Well.. Each time 2 spacecraft s encounter each other (Mostly Star Trek : TNG and others) They always encounter face to face... Nose to nose.. Exactly in the same angle and opposite directions... When traveling into space, Your orientation becomes useless. I understand they have computers and all.. But anyway. Its like there was a ceiling and a floor in space... and that's not true.

Well, they do use a coordinate system that's based on the galactic plane...

 

[DaxInvader]

And they told other races what plane it was and so on... It was just bugging me :P

 

[Danger]

I'm not a serious Trekker, by any means, but according to stuff like the Concordium and various books, Federation space is very specifically layed out as to which way is which. As Dave said, it's based upon the plane of the galaxy. In-system co-ordinates go by the plane of the stellar family, and standard orbits appear to be equatorial.

 

[DaxInvader]

Thats does indeed answer my question. Thanks!

 

[Manchot]

Do you mean the battlestars, or vipers?

The viper battles tend to look pretty realistic, in my opinion, but physicists currently have to suspend disbelief to enjoy any show in which FTL drive is a plot element. Incidentally, I tend to think Firefly did a better job..

I don't think that Firefly had FTL travel at all. If I remember correctly, the whole plot took place in a single solar system that a group of people migrated to via slower-than-light travel. In fact, for a sci-fi series, I can't think of anything in it that was excluded by our modern understanding of physics.

 

[moose]

It seems that people have already answered your question, so I am just going to say that I love the show

I must have missed the episode where they explained what the hell happens when they "jump" though... Like, do they just speed up? Do they do something sci-fi ish, or what? Ill just look it up

EDIT: Lol, I have a battlestar font on my computer

EDIT2: I'm still amazed at the kind of stuff they can do on a tv series budget O__O

 

[cesiumfrog]

I don't think that Firefly had FTL travel at all. If I remember correctly, the whole plot took place in a single solar system that a group of people migrated to via slower-than-light travel. In fact, for a sci-fi series, I can't think of anything in it that was excluded by our modern understanding of physics.

That's (part of) what I meant when I endorsed Firefly over BSG. ..Although there was that one scene where the firefly, chased at high velocity through the atmosphere, manages a sudden 180 while the occupants just "hold on" without ill result. ..back to work

 

[DaveC426913]

I don't think that Firefly had FTL travel at all. If I remember correctly, the whole plot took place in a single solar system that a group of people migrated to via slower-than-light travel. In fact, for a sci-fi series, I can't think of anything in it that was excluded by our modern understanding of physics.

Waitaminnit. Firefly ranges over many, many solar systems.