BBC Focus Magazine

[Shadowwolf]

A fate far worse

[M Paul Lloyd]

This on the other hand rather complicates things................

Galactic cosmic rays have just hit a Space Age high, new data from a NASA spacecraft indicates..............The surge, which poses no threat to Earth, was detected by NASA's ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) spacecraft.

http://www.livescience.com/space/090929 ... y-max.html

And it no doubt will again and this is a problem because it will increase the amount of shielding we will need to incorporate into any spaceship design. Suddenly those 'built like a battleship' spacecraft concepts from the 1950's with rivets the size of door knobs suddenly seem to make a whole lot of sense.

[Shadowwolf]

Any pics of these concept space dreadnaughts?

[M Paul Lloyd]

The one that most readily springs to mind is from the 1950 film 'Destination Moon' which was effectively a scaled up version of the German V2 with bigger fins and powered by a nuclear reactor although I don't recall actually seeing such big rivets in that movie itself. Then you have Project Orion which was a real life nuclear powered rocket concept which would have to have been pretty tough to survive but sadly the source of the portrayal I have in mind will not come to me, which is annoying, but I will keep digging.

I can visualize it right now, with hatches and ladders that looked as if they had come straight from a submarine........

[M Paul Lloyd]

Actually I may be confusing it all with the old Flash Gordon series....

Anyway this might help make space travel seem more viable to the dreaded 'accountants'.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/se ... eport.html

[Shadowwolf]

Just so long as there are no 'sparklers' in place of actual engines

[M Paul Lloyd]

Ooh I don't know, sparkler power, could lead to new avenues of research you know, especially on current budgetary allowances.

[Shadowwolf]

Does not look very impressive though.

[M Paul Lloyd]

No, not exactly 'warp factor nine' is it?

[M Paul Lloyd]

And nor is this, but, I think it has definite potential.

http://www.adastrarocket.com/VASIMR.html

Video
http://www.adastrarocket.com/vx200.html

[Shadowwolf]

Interesting stuff and perhaps ideal for orbital and system operations, of course someone has to get them up there.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Ah well, yes, the getting up there problem. Now that is a stumbling block.

[Shadowwolf]

High time for some orbital construction facilities.

[M Paul Lloyd]

But then where will you source the raw materials?

[nemisis39]

Well if Adonis is coming as close as they predict then there could be a source there

A form of space dock/harbour if you like would be a potential idea, but like you say were do we source the materials from. It would be to costly to transport materials up to the dock to build ships, maybe build them on earth or a moon base then fit them out in a space dock/harbour or use it for maintenance purpose's after all a lot of earth bound ships are built in one place and fitted out and maintained in another , this would just be on a grander and a more costly basis to start off with

[M Paul Lloyd]

But only if you can catch it.

[Shadowwolf]

I think catching would be the easy part, getting it somewhere useful might be a bit difficult.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Ah well, once you have caught up with it you are pretty much in for the ride.

[Shadowwolf]

Attach some engines might work; of course that could be the meddling that changes its course into a collision one whereupon the uplink to the engines break or something, and we have to get an oil rig driller to save us all.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Hmmm. call in the A team no less.....

Well yes you could install an solar/nuclear powered linear driver of sorts to expel asteroidal dirt in such a manner as to produce a significant change to the objects orbital velocity... but whether this would be a good or bad idea is open to infinite debate.