- #1
Clever Penguin
- 74
- 20
First let me explain life on-board the spacecraft :
Energy supply: There are 7 main energy supplies that the ship uses.
One of these involves the Sabatier process, where Nickel is used as a catalyst, along with heat, to create water and methane. Exhaled air can be turned into this water and methane. The water can be turned into liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for fuel, while the liquid methane can be used to cool the on-board computers.
Micro-organisms can be used to produce biogas, which can power some electrical appliances, such as kettles, the computers, and other miscellaneous appliances. The lighting is powered by bioluminescent micro-organisms that feed on sewage and food waste. By flicking a switch you cause the waste to be diverted into the lamp, which 'activates' the bioluminescence.
Solar Power, which requires no explanation.
Gym power. The act of lifting weights with magnets attached through a solenoid of wire, or running on a treadmill, etc., to produce a small alternating current that can be stored. Floor tiles connected to a piezoelectric crystal such that every step produces a small current.
Nuclear fusion, which requires no explanation.
Hydrogen fuel cell, which requires no explanation.
Wearable technology, which is powered by the heat produced by the wearer.
Materials: The ship contains many materials, of which the least obvious are explained below.
Self-healing material. For a screen, a healing agent is encapsulated. If damage causes the capsule to break, the agent is released (wearable technology). Refillable tubes can replace the capsules (non-wearable technology).
The walls are made from a material that has bonds that break when heated, and reform when cooled. To fix, you apply heat and let cool.
Some of the walls are living. They contain small plants in them with their own water supply. These can be used to help sustain the environment.
Medical bay: The medical bay uses many new applications of electricity.
By stimulating the macrophages near the liver, inflammation can be reduced.
By stimulating the vagus nerve, blood pressure can be reduced.
Microcurrents enhance circulation of blood through smaller blood vessels, allowing wounds to heal m ore quickly.
A substance can be placed on the skin, across which a small current is applied. This method allows for needle-free injections.
Silk can fix broken bones. Using plates and screws made from a protein derived from silkworm cocoons, which can be absorbed by the body over time. This reduces the chance of infection, and reduces the need for further operations.
Spacecraft protection: The spacecraft employs three main methods of protecting itself and the crew.
Force field. A supercapacitor built into the armour can be used to 'create' energy and an electromagnetic field around it. If this is deployed with correct timing, it can deflect projectiles. The armour would have to be thick to accommodate the supercapacitor.
Radiation shield. This consists of a plasma cloud made from ionised hydrogen gas held in place by a thin mesh conducting electricity.
Heat shield. A titanium skeleton and carbon fibre skin, consisting of a honeycomb of tiles. The tiles disintegrate, carrying away the energy. The titanium and carbon fibre provide strength for the landing.
And now the story so far:
Looking out of the window sat a young, dark-haired man, his green eyes staring at the sight before him. A giant sphere of ice floating in the inky darkness of space. Enceladus. The place he had chosen to help colonize.
The great icy sphere loomed larger as the spacecraft drew nearer, until the photon thrusters were activated, and the spacecraft landed gently on the surface. From the landing legs of the spacecraft , huge harpoons were fired into the ice, and all activity on-board had ceased.
The passengers waited, hardly daring to breathe, lest that somehow caused the ice below them to crack. But the ice was many kilometres deep, and held with no sign of weakness. And so, after five minutes had passed, the spacecraft started to buzz with activity. Business had resumed as usual.
But not for Jauril. He, being the young man staring at the icy expanse through the window, was startled by a brief double-beep coming from his wrist.
He glanced down at his wrist, and immediately it lit up. It was a modern watch, which was powered by the heat given off by the wearer's skin. The screen was only a few atoms thick, so you could see the skin underneath it when it was inactive. And it was always inactive, except when you glanced at it, which is what Jauril was doing now, so that it glowed faintly and displayed a brief message.
Feedback wanted
Energy supply: There are 7 main energy supplies that the ship uses.
One of these involves the Sabatier process, where Nickel is used as a catalyst, along with heat, to create water and methane. Exhaled air can be turned into this water and methane. The water can be turned into liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for fuel, while the liquid methane can be used to cool the on-board computers.
Micro-organisms can be used to produce biogas, which can power some electrical appliances, such as kettles, the computers, and other miscellaneous appliances. The lighting is powered by bioluminescent micro-organisms that feed on sewage and food waste. By flicking a switch you cause the waste to be diverted into the lamp, which 'activates' the bioluminescence.
Solar Power, which requires no explanation.
Gym power. The act of lifting weights with magnets attached through a solenoid of wire, or running on a treadmill, etc., to produce a small alternating current that can be stored. Floor tiles connected to a piezoelectric crystal such that every step produces a small current.
Nuclear fusion, which requires no explanation.
Hydrogen fuel cell, which requires no explanation.
Wearable technology, which is powered by the heat produced by the wearer.
Materials: The ship contains many materials, of which the least obvious are explained below.
Self-healing material. For a screen, a healing agent is encapsulated. If damage causes the capsule to break, the agent is released (wearable technology). Refillable tubes can replace the capsules (non-wearable technology).
The walls are made from a material that has bonds that break when heated, and reform when cooled. To fix, you apply heat and let cool.
Some of the walls are living. They contain small plants in them with their own water supply. These can be used to help sustain the environment.
Medical bay: The medical bay uses many new applications of electricity.
By stimulating the macrophages near the liver, inflammation can be reduced.
By stimulating the vagus nerve, blood pressure can be reduced.
Microcurrents enhance circulation of blood through smaller blood vessels, allowing wounds to heal m ore quickly.
A substance can be placed on the skin, across which a small current is applied. This method allows for needle-free injections.
Silk can fix broken bones. Using plates and screws made from a protein derived from silkworm cocoons, which can be absorbed by the body over time. This reduces the chance of infection, and reduces the need for further operations.
Spacecraft protection: The spacecraft employs three main methods of protecting itself and the crew.
Force field. A supercapacitor built into the armour can be used to 'create' energy and an electromagnetic field around it. If this is deployed with correct timing, it can deflect projectiles. The armour would have to be thick to accommodate the supercapacitor.
Radiation shield. This consists of a plasma cloud made from ionised hydrogen gas held in place by a thin mesh conducting electricity.
Heat shield. A titanium skeleton and carbon fibre skin, consisting of a honeycomb of tiles. The tiles disintegrate, carrying away the energy. The titanium and carbon fibre provide strength for the landing.
And now the story so far:
Looking out of the window sat a young, dark-haired man, his green eyes staring at the sight before him. A giant sphere of ice floating in the inky darkness of space. Enceladus. The place he had chosen to help colonize.
The great icy sphere loomed larger as the spacecraft drew nearer, until the photon thrusters were activated, and the spacecraft landed gently on the surface. From the landing legs of the spacecraft , huge harpoons were fired into the ice, and all activity on-board had ceased.
The passengers waited, hardly daring to breathe, lest that somehow caused the ice below them to crack. But the ice was many kilometres deep, and held with no sign of weakness. And so, after five minutes had passed, the spacecraft started to buzz with activity. Business had resumed as usual.
But not for Jauril. He, being the young man staring at the icy expanse through the window, was startled by a brief double-beep coming from his wrist.
He glanced down at his wrist, and immediately it lit up. It was a modern watch, which was powered by the heat given off by the wearer's skin. The screen was only a few atoms thick, so you could see the skin underneath it when it was inactive. And it was always inactive, except when you glanced at it, which is what Jauril was doing now, so that it glowed faintly and displayed a brief message.
Feedback wanted