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Post by Denithar on Jan 3, 2007 19:33:02 GMT -5
So, Denithar is finally writing a science fiction story. Several people really wanted me to change from my usual method of writing, so now I begin. My first question is, what are the different theories of ways that we will eventually be able to space travel without it taking years to reach anything? Not that it has to be realistic, but it has to sound plausible. My story will only be set in our solar system, just to make things more simple, but I still need to research what technological jargon. If you are a buff of Star wars or Orson Card, or just science fiction, please inform me on methods (ie, the engines, the ships, the guns, etc) of theoretical space travel.
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Post by Cy Skywalker on Jan 4, 2007 13:35:07 GMT -5
Ships which travel faster than the speed of light: Known as hyperspace, Warp Speed, FTL, or other things; the gist is that a certain kind of engine/fuel will get a spacecraft safely just above the speed of light and into a new dimension, through which distances are contracted. Different authors have different technical ways to do it--Star Wars calls it ion drive--but this method is so established as the way humans'll have to speed up the massive distances used in space travel that sometimes the author doesn't have to explain it, just make it creative again. Ramjet or Scramjet is one engine design; scoopdrive is another--if you want to know specifics I suggest you Wiki it, but I think both of those use space dust and such materials which the ship 'scoops' up from space to power the engine when a fuel as we know it couldn't.
Harnessing a black hole or wormhole involves picking one of the interspacial rifts and figuring out how to skirt the singularity and get a ship through into another part of the universe. This wouldn't work in the Solar System if you're using a natural black hole, which would suck in the System, but a manmade wormhole could be controllled by a very advanced society.
to be continued...
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Hunter
Rank 2 (STILL a Newbie)
Total BAMF
Posts: 154
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Post by Hunter on Jan 4, 2007 13:43:02 GMT -5
A book series called Animorphs used a thing called Z-Space. The engine basically allowed the ship to break through the fabric of space and tunnel through a negative zone much like we would tunnel trough the crust of the earth, only there is no substance, and therefore no resistance.
I thought it was interesting, lol.
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Post by Denithar on Jan 5, 2007 17:13:30 GMT -5
Thanks guys! I really need the help. I'm thinking of going with some sort of nuclear fission engine (though engine might be the wrong word), where the blast from the ignition would be pulled out the ship magnetically.
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Post by Cy Skywalker on Jan 8, 2007 13:35:14 GMT -5
...that's still a blast though, and rocketpower is generally accepted to be not powerful enough to push a ship that fast.
The Animorphs thing sounds like a funky-creative word for hyperspace.
Anything else specific you need--weapons?
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Post by Denithar on Jan 9, 2007 10:50:34 GMT -5
Mhm, I'm still working on the engine and whatnot.
Yes! Weapons! What do you know about space weapons?
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Post by Cy Skywalker on Jan 10, 2007 12:48:30 GMT -5
The general accepted 'thing' is laser guns (termed blasters, rayguns, laser pistols, etc.) and, if you want, laser swords. Is this viable? Not at the moment: space agencies don't dare think about arming their craft because it'd be another Cold War, and we can't make a laser thick enough to shoot well enough to be a gun. However, laser weapons are the norm for an advanced human society in SF. I can't think of anything else more creative than that but still common, but I'll think about it further.
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