Headed home for the holidays, so 3 week hiatus (yeah sorry :( ) A few posts are in the mix but nothing is close to ready. See ya on the other side of the new year ball drop ;). But just to leave you something to chew on check out the Mars One program, makes me smile every time!
I just supported Meet The Mars One Candidates on @ThunderclapIt // @Squidoogeek
Riding the waves
Commission: Keekoi
Space is far from an empty vacuum. It’s a vacuum, just not an empty one. Every second there’s background radiation, specks of dust that put bullets to shame hitting your ship with varying gusto. Sudden bursts of radiation or solar storms can push you off course at the very least or turn your ship into popcorn at worst whereas debris can make you look like swiss cheese. Knowing where storms or clouds of speeding rocks are passing through can give you enought time to sail over/under certain death.
Right now there exists a registry of known asteroids and a constant watch on the sun. We have a good idea where plasma arcs are headed a few days in advance but it’s not precise. We know where some really big asteroids will be on a given date but we’re limited by the power of dedicated telescopes and It’s really hard to find something when you have no idea where to look.
A network of Sun orbiting satellites dedicated to tracking objects could provide a system-wide weather report that reliably predicts real time hazard zones, giving navigators the means to protect their ships from harm. With out faster than light communication a live feed would be impractical, each satellites lag would be minutes apart. Each satellite would need to broadcast on a frequency that could be picked up on all receivers which would set priority on signal strength. The data would be logged into an algorythm which fit weaker strength signals into previous sequential settings based on self reported locations and time dilation. With the combined readings, the navigation equipment would display previous behavior of all identified objects and predict most likely future movements.
TLDR? Space Weather Tivo
Breaking the laws of physics… just a smidgeCommission : bluekazenate
The “Cannae Drive” invented by Guido Fetta does something nothing else has yet to do. It makes thrust without propellent. Well… I guess it’s more acurate to say ‘physical propellent’ cuz this thing runs on pure electricity. Not too long ago NASA validated this device which is essentially a microwave strapped to a copper lamp shade that’s sealed on both ends. when a magnetron (the thingy that makes a microwave cook) is energized it sends radiation into the chamber and as it gets wider and bounces around, thrust happens…AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY!!!
Right now the working theory involves “quantum virtual plasma” but that is likely to change as time moves on. When tested with 15Kw input the test device produced about 72grams of thrust. Now that ain’t much but when you can keep it going forever it’s nothing to laugh at. Not to mention 15Kw is pocket change, the output of a few solar pannels, rig this baby up to a nuke reactor at 5Mw and prepare to feel the SPEED!
As of this writing I am unaware of any craft which has this drive equipped. It’s first use will undoubtably be in small satelites, and as time progresses on larger and larger vehicles. It is very likely that a version of this drive will become part of a complex propulsion network when mankind begins to venture into deep space.
Sorry for the long wait in posts, I’ve had to move and readjust to new surroundings. Now that this place feels like home, I’m glad to be back!
Sleeping in Space
Commission by samuraj_szadzik
Nocturnal accommodations are a bit tricky when there is no clear split between night and day. The quick fix is to use the same time as Cape Canaveral, but this can be a pain in the neck when you need someone up at all times. Someone will “feel” like its midnight when the ships clock says 8:00AM.
One way to beat space lag is a shift change over. Fill out a check-list and brief the oncoming crew and support crews in one place so everyone knows what’s going on, some people find it annoying, but a good chunk of info would be left out otherwise. My unit uses three shifts: 24hours on, 24hours off, and 8hours on to support the crew on 24hour shift. The unit right above us uses 12hours on 24hours off with no support shift. For continuous operation off-world three equal shifts (whatever fit best with a work/rest ratio) at a minimum would keep the crew sane enough to perform and conduct routine maintenance 24/7, and rested enough for an ‘all hands on deck’ emergency.
As far as minor comforts go customizable lighting settings are easy. Compartmentalized air conditioning is probably not going to happen, so expecting cabin temperature to be 20C give or take, light sleeping bags are in. You’ll both be comfy and not having to worry about bumping into anything while you float around knocked the [guess] out. Sound is another easy one with three options: ambient ship noises, recorded nature/music, or ear plugs.
Last to consider is the disorientation of going from clearly defined gravity to free fall. The “space stupids” are unique to each person, lasting from a few days to months. A quick and dirty generalization is suddenly your frame of reference swaps & without moving, you feel like you’re upside down. Other symptoms include dizziness, and temporary confusion. The best I can offer you now is a universally accepted frame of direction (bridge up, engines down, and base port and starboard off the seats in the bridge), and embrace the drift either in play or dance. Sitting still may help let you acclimate, but engaging in your environment speeds up the process a lot! This isn’t universal, but heck why not have some fun anyways?
Just a heads up my unit is moving so if I don’t post it’s because I’m hiding. Love the job, not so much for some of my peers. Thanks for reading, Cheers!
Space Race!
Commission by yoshicat
Development of space technologies is always centred around competition, there’s no getting around it. The words change but the motions stay the same. But good things do come out of space races and otherwise, like having to do as much as you can with only what you got, now that sparks creativity!
Hopefully these ships are recognizable. They were chosen to represent three different types of engines. Bottom left a nuclear-reactor powered steam-ish engine (from the imagination of Gundam Seed). The middle, plasma engines with magnetic nozzles (VASIMR being the closest relative). And the most bizarre at the top right (fittingly pinkies ship) the Cannae drive, the engine without propellent… sort of.
So the idea of racing individual ships differs a bit from countries racing to the moon, or trying to put the most missions around another planet or outside the solar system. But the benefit is two-fold. First, equipment has to be swapped out in order to be kept up to date so development doesn’t stagnate. Second, our brains don’t like to work in straight lines. Once you hit a point of stamina the lights want to dim upstairs, but if you don’t want to see the other guys smirk (or you want to beat him badly) suddenly it’s all cylinders go & look out!
If ever there was a sport that mattered, it would be this one. Our ability to reach stars beyond our own requires the study and resources put into NASCAR and Formula 1, the ingenuity of regatta ship builders, and above all the passionate imagination that comes from play.
Worst case scenario-fireworks, best case-great working ships and the thrill of the unknown. Cheers!
Commission Fly-Sky-high
The future of design
This post was inspired by this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNqs_S-zEBY
So the idea of holograms have been around along time and technically anyone can make one easily. For me, I ordered a Occulus dev kit2 (it should have shipped but due to work I won’t be able to touch it for a couple months). The trick to this system is that it has two identical screens with lenses I front of the so that light gets bent onto your retina and acts like normal vision. There was an issue with motion sickness early on; partly because of game design and the visual output while turning your head was too detailed. They added more blur ‘in motion’ and for now it seems to help.
Being able to see an object in 3d and warp it to test different angles in seconds, opens up far more possibilities than having to work minutes hours or days in CAD on a keyboard. But the Occulus is a monitor not a controller. Right now there are a few motion capture controllers on the market. There’s one in the video above, another is the Myo armband, and of course you can always hack a kinect. The techniques differ but boiled down it changes digital design from endless typing and clicking, to immersive sculpting. It’s as big a game changer as Photoshop was for graphic design.
Now that Facebook owns this technology (with many people pissed about the purchase, including Notch) it is inevitable that we will see it pushed into as many domains as possible. Until it is mainstreamed for uses other than gaming, however, other specialised groups may not see the value of its application. (Unless my folks accidentally see inside, I promise an unboxing video)
P.s. I do eventually want to start using my own art and not rely only on commissions-but I’m starting with zero skill and cramming practice in when coworkers can’t see
I have a vacation starting in a couple days, I’ll pick this up soon as I get back-Cheers!
Way-stations
Commission by: misspolycysticovary
Today we’re talking about places in-between others in space. More than stations less than colonies, way-stations will be the equivalent of the 7-11 in the sky. We have a lot of free floating rocks out there, with a bit of elbow grease any one of them could be a chill place to hang.
These stations will see their first days as mining communities. Today a handful of companies are vying for opportunities to hunt for metals rare on Earth but are found in abundance out there. Mining targets will likely be identified by drone spectrometry, a second wave of drones then comes in with sonic surveying equipment (did you see the first scene of Jurassic Park where they shoot the ground with a shotgun shell- same basic concept, minus the shotgun shell) and basic mining equipment. When these are full they leave their mining sites and transfer their loot to a collection point. A third wave of drones is sent out, and this is where things get interesting. At this point dedicated infrastructure is on site and there is at least one big hole in the ground that, when all is said and done, can be used for just about anything.
Items a ship can’t replace on its own, along with fuel can be positioned in hardened locations across the solar system with minimal upkeep cost. This also opens up possibilities for black market opportunities, as these stations are distant from colonies and nations that wish to impose their ideals and regulations.
The laws of space are centred around vehicular sovereignty, basically whoever owns what you’re floating is king. There was a space treaty banning countries from claiming celestial objects as territory (under the idea that they are the heritage of all humankind) but now the American legislature is entertaining the notion of allowing corporations to do just that. So if they can do it-so can you, or you can buy one off of them when their done with it. As to what you do when you get one, whatever floats your boat is just fine and dandy. Keep in mind though that you can be denied entry anywhere else if your reputation gets too crazy.
Using asteroids offers a double advantage of camouflaged passive radiation shielding. If you’re hiding whoever is looking for you has to search through thousands of rocks in the area he thinks you’re in. If you’re not then the sheer mass of the asteroid will absorb the brunt of radiation from the environment. There’s a reason that space suits smell like seared bacon and welding fumes when they come back from a walk outside. All that energy gets absorbed by the first thing that it hits, whenever that doesn’t have to be you-go for that.
Lets get started
commission by unusualsusspects
original ship design property of Mars One
So for the late comers, the end-state of this blog is to eventually give you the readers, the ability to download a working spaceship; getting to space is up to you. Early on I’ll stick to components that have worked, or what is on the market. Over time I’ll break it down so that they are more simple and accessible. I’ll mention things that are in development, but most likely they won’t bleed over into designs posted. I am not the only one doing this, but this is a solo blog for now.
A year ago a Dutch company called Mars One announced that it would start taking applications for people to go to Mars for the rest of their natural lives. This is not about their program (look it up, it’s awesome!), this is about their ship. The thing about Mars One is that it limits itself to only using existing technologies, unless one is absolutely vital and is so near-term that it can be counted on existing in time for the mission. At the time of this writing only one such technology remains, the Falcon-Heavy rocket. I will mention it here only to say that it has an advertised payload to Low Earth Orbit of 53,000kg.
For perspective the total mass of Apollo 11 was 46,678 kg (Command-Service-Module mass: 30,320 kg, of which Command-Module was 5960 kg, Service-Module 24,360 kg Lunar-Module mass: 16,448 kg , of which ascent stage was 4985 kg, descent stage 11,463 kg). That trip lasted two days and we are in the ball park of seven months. So if you factor in that you are only landing once one launch of a Falcon-Heavy can give you about 23000kg of play. Not knowing the eventual weight of the completed ship, I bet for two launches of either Heavies or 9’s .
The original concept needed to be assembled in space prior to departure. The above concept takes advantage of existing abilities to skip in-flight assembly. The Dragon Version 2 is designed so that it can park itself at the ISS without the Canadian robotic arm. The Genesis stations 1&2 can use small vernier rockets to reposition themselves, to make an approach very easy.
No specs have been released on the new Dragon V2.0 so for now all we do have are those for V1.3: 6,000kg at take off and 3,000kg on return; 14m^3 trunk space; & an 11m^3 pressurized cabin. The size of the planned inflatable habitat is completely up to the discretion of Mars One. The main engines are interesting, ultimately you have to push everything to Mars from Earths orbit, keep yourself on course, and line yourself up for the final approach to a predetermined landing point somewhere between the 43rd and 45th parallels, all while limited with the expense of lifting fuel.
So if you do two launches, the way this concept is set up, you’ll end up with a booster on each end. The booster on the Dragon’s side fires first and detaches, the whole ship swings a 180 and fires up the second booster. This makes less mass for the second booster to push. It is also unknown at this time if the trunk of the next version of Dragon will have its own engines. There exists a possibility that the boosters may utilize the new Raptor LOX Methane engine to gain flight data for SpaceX’s planned yet not discussed Mars Colonial Transport (MCT).
The trunks built in solar array makes it too advantageous to discard so with or without engines, it will play a part. Mars One plans to launch a satellite with every crew that goes out, this would definitely be the place for one.
What has yet to be determined is the point of separation of the crewed Red Dragon (the not yet built Dragon V3+) and the station. After that point the station is effectively thrown away and the capsule focuses on touching down gently in its tiny oval landing zone. Meanwhile this very expensive piece of space debris might just be able to tackle one more mission, landing on Phobos.
Depending on how much fuel is left in the main engine and vernier’s, it might be possible to either crash or land softly on the Red Planets closest moon. At an altitude of only 6,000km the station only needs to avoid going faster than .0057m/s^2 away from the surface and it will not fly away. The main hurdle will be approaching slowly and not braking too fast. If we can knock that out, for 0 add on cost we gain an additional observation platform, years of flight time for the companies that put the station together, and in the event of an indigenous Martian space program-easy access to hardware without the cost of launch.
But why bother with a stop on Phobos at all? Remember the MCT? That boat is supposed to make round trips, coasting to Mars and back takes WAAAAAAY too long. If you can cut down the time in-between with a floating gas station you can avoid pesky things like muscle atrophy and radiation poisoning, and if there was ever a place to refuel near Mars, that place is Phobos. Further re-usability could be included in later versions by having the first booster push the station to a half way point to Earths moon (otherwise known as a Lagrange point) so that after it detaches it can either orbit the moon to be sent back, or angle its orbit for a free return without burning any more fuel-just like Apollo 13.
In closing, the original plan calls for the transit vehicle to be left behind and orbit the Sun. Essentially it becomes space trash. If no changes were made you could steer it to a free return to Earth to practice for the MCT and validate equipment for extended time in open space. Or you might be able to set it up as a relay satellite so that even when Mars is behind the Sun you can still maintain communication. But then at the end of either journey it just burns up on re-entry of whatever body it hits. On Phobos this discarded station would provide advanced hardware, remote observation capabilities, and bulk material for a thriving micro-gravity ecosystem.
Sources:
http://www.mars-one.com/technology/mars-transit-vehicle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_%28moon%29
http://www.lunarpedia.org/index.php?title=GFDL:Apollo_11
http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy
http://www.spacex.com/falcon9
science-junkie
Two of the biggest Science YouTubers come out and respond to hate comments with a healthy dose of science education!
