VectorSphere: Spacecraft Structure, Part 2

April 24, 2006

Spacecraft Structure, Part 2

Yesterday I put up a post that looked at a basic spacecraft layout. Very simple, very utilitarian, something that’s already flying today. Now, I ask that you cast your mind a little further in the future.

Mankind has colonized space and ventured out into the solar system. Nothing much, really — just a few outposts here and there. The would-be colonists have access to high tech material imported from Earth, and basic stuff they can manufacture themselves. They need spacecraft that are both rugged and versatile, since they don’t have the luxury of having too many specialized vehicles just hanging around waiting for a task.

What does the latter mean? Well, modular hardpoints would be good. The engine must be able to use various kinds of fuel or reaction mass, or at least something that’s easy to find and refine. Ideally, anything that saves fuel is useful in the long run, so verniers are placed at the end of long booms for maximum leverage. If we’re going to carry that extra structure, might as well use it to provide a greater baseline for our sensors, which means we can carry smaller ones. One of the booms can be articulated, in case we need a crane, or a docking arm, or maybe just to pick up something that’s floating nearby. Finally, some sort of landing gear would allow us to touch down on asteroids and moons, either to refuel or to simplify transport and exploration.

basic spacecraft structure

Not perfectly efficient, but very useful and versatile. Now we’re going somewhere.

Come back tomorrow for the final part.

Posted by vman at April 24, 2006 09:31 PM

Comments

Hey Marc, neat project so far. Do you have a more developed “setting” in mind, or do you plan to develop that as you go? Also, how the heck is transhumanism going to fit into all this? Any particular conflict you’re planning on exploring?

In project 2 you mention the “concepts of personal identity, freewill, and interspecies relations” as being part of the core conflict. Is your current vision for #7 more like a combination of #2 and #7 or are you going to focus on some other aspect of transhumanism in #7?

Posted by: Greg at April 25, 2006 05:20 PM

[Do you have a more developed “setting” in mind, or do you plan to develop that as you go?]

I do indeed have the broad strokes of the setting written down — major players, history (long and short terms), technology, etc.

[Also, how the heck is transhumanism going to fit into all this?]

I was never quite happy with Jovian Chronicles’ Edicts. Too easy. Therefore, I have no choice but to incorporate some advanced sciences, such as biotech, nanotech and robotics. Nevertheless, I will likely remain conservative to keep the setting within workable bounds, so no Post-Singularity here.

[Is your current vision for #7 more like a combination of #2 and #7 or are you going to focus on some other aspect of transhumanism in #7?]

Transhumanism is going to be part of the backdrop, but it’s not going to be a central theme like in #2. I don’t want to make “kitchen sink settings” anymore — both Heavy Gear and Jovian Chronicles lost a lot of focus with the increased scope (“it’s a military-political-espionage-adventure-mystery-hardboiled-detective-science-opera universe!”).

And I have another reason to keep things focused on fewer themes. I don’t want to have to write/edit thousands of pages again. :)

Thanks for your interest!

Posted by: V-Man at April 25, 2006 07:38 PM

I just love the plumbing part. That’s so hi-tech!

Posted by: Phil at April 26, 2006 04:30 PM