design-a-shuttle

I thought it would be a funidea for us to design our own space exploring shuttle... type thing.

it'll be easy to do, people will just have to post how they think it should work, like what it should be made of, crew capacity, how big it is, how it should run (NUCLEAR POWER, SOLARSAIL etc...), and even stuff like weapons or defenses. If someone thinks something someone has posted is wrong and would not work, feel free to say what is the matter and how you could improve.

The Obsidian Shuttle:

Construction Materials: Doesn't really matter. See remainder of sections.

Crew Capacity: Between 1 and 100+. Crew capacity really depends on the primary usage of the vessel. For a freighter, a crew of one would work fine. For a research vessel, a crew of 8-10 should be sufficient. For a transport vessel, the more the merrier. Higher capacity means fewer trips.

Size: Once again, this relies heavilly on the primary usage of the vessel. Transport and freight vessels would have to be larger than research or runabout vessels.

Propulsion/Onboard Systems: Main power source - Hydrogen extraction/zero point (not as far off, technologically as many people would have you believe - I'm working on a form of this system myself at the moment). Propulsion would be provided by and anti-gravity system, aided by inertial and friction dampeners (both inertial and friction dampening technologies exist in infant forms, and would only require a little further research to bring it to spec for a spacefaring vessel). Antigravity is another technology that is closer than we think. Push for more research into EM fields. That's the key. In addition to this, gravity generators would be nice for those onboard, so there's none of that pesky, muscle threatening weightlessness. I have a theory on how to achieve this as well, but still needs extensive testing before it can be proven safe and efficient.

Weapons: In a peaceful mission, weapons are theoretically unneeded, however, in the event of travel outside of our solar system, they would be needed, given the unknown nature of deep space. Preparation is survival. I would vote on rail guns and/or ion cannons. Rail guns are quickly becoming a current technology (to the point where many backyard mechanics are working on building such a device), and ion cannons were arguably developed almost 100 years ago by Nikola Tesla.

In my spare time, I have been working on developing or improving many of these technologies. I have a good background in physics and quantum theory. I've often considered making a profession out of it.

I choose not to release any technical data that I have developed on these subjects, because I want the full patent rights to my own inventions. Rough theory, however, I will discuss, if anyone so wishes.

[edit on 4-5-2005 by obsidian468]

Oh maaaaan, I saw the title of this thread, and all that I could think was: website.

I thought there was a website out there where you could design your own shuttle and test it against space, kinda like those lunar lander games for the Apple ][ e. Jeeze, I'm really dating myself now. Well, not like anyone else would want to (Thanks for that joke, Dilbert!)

This does seem like a neat idea. Being an artist, it would be fun to draw or model something in 3d, but I don't know if I have the time to do anything, plus i'm kinda lazy too, but we'll see

Here's my thoughts,

home.earthlink.net...

Michael

This is a good idea, the design I'm going to describe would be primarily for Inner-system travel.

Hull material:
Steel/Titanium alloy with a carbon nano-tube mesh mixed in.


Crew and passenger capacity:
Crew: 20. 2 pilots, 5 engineers, 1 science officer, 2 telecommunication workers, 10 stewardists.
Amount of passengers: 40.

Size:
20 times as big as the shuttle (with out take-off rockets).

Propulsion system:
Jet engines for atmospheric travel.
Anti-gravity planetary escape velocity engines.
Ram scoop plasma engines for interplanetary travel.

Weapons:
Two rail-guns.
20 missiles.
two particle beam weapons.
One EM pulse cannon.

Defense systems:
One point defense laser for incoming missiles.
ElectroMagnetic radiation shielding.
Polarized outer armor.

Shape:
Similiar to this ship



Misclaneous systems:

Artificial gravity ring, by centrifigal force.


Life systems:
Oxygen recycling system/ oxygen scrubbers.
Water tanks and purification/recycling system.

[edit on 5/10/2005 by iori_komei]

[edit on 5/10/2005 by iori_komei]

It's quite simple, actually:

1. Read Kontantin Tsaikovsky's 18th Century treatise on rocketry.
   
2. Now forget everything you read.
   
3. Take a course in hypersonic aerodynamics.
   
4. Now forget everything you studied.
   
5. Design an efficient, cheap, disposable staged hydrogen/lox rocket.
   
6. Make it expensive, reusable (sometimes), fuel it with toxins.
   
7. Forget about staging.
   
8. Add wings for aerodynamic inefficiency.
   
9. Charge the gov't for all this 'design time'.
   
10. Voila! You are finished.
    

Eugen Sanger was a sooooper geeenius...