11-14-2015, 09:45 PM | #41 | ||||
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Location: Meifumado
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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So looking at the delta-V would mean looking at how much velocity you add here, but when you look at the orbital speeds of moons in the lower and higher orbit, the higher orbit is slower, as you say, which means you have to subtract velocity. Now that could mean that a rocket in a circular orbit can be moving faster than a moon in the same orbit, and it has to slow down to match it in that orbit, but for a circular orbit radius and velocity are proportional, so being in a particular orbit implies a specific velocity. Obviously I'm missing something, not sure what it is- I'm guessing it's about angular velocity versus tangential speed or something. Quote:
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A brachistochrone transfer would require a constant thrust, which might be possible in a Jovian-style magnetosphere. I was imagining that tapping a high energy plasma torus in a lower orbit for a "perigee kick" might be more desirable, but proving this true would need a lot of computation. You'd also need to know the field strength of the magnetosphere along your orbit, the energy in the plasma torus, and how well your magsail can capture those and translate them to the desired kinetic energies. Yep, I was just giving it as an example of moons having magnetospheres not being unreasonable.
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11-14-2015, 10:49 PM | #42 | ||
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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For this low-tech setting though, there'd need to be some more empirical knowledge- pilots have mapped a number of transfer points where they can cross into a moon's orbit, for example. If they're Lagrange points, they could set up flashing buoys there which shouldn't move out of position.
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11-15-2015, 05:00 AM | #43 | ||||
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
If you are referring to coasting, that maneuver can be used to pick up speed regardless of transfer orbit if you hit the right launch window (which don't work with any wonderful frequency, and that will mess with regular resupply missions needed for colonization). If not, you're limited to brachistochrone transfers. For more information or to calculate these things based on information available from the system generation rules in Space or to generate figures usable with Spaceships, please refer to Halfway to Anywhere. If you want to generate full porkchop plots and sort out your transfers from there, here's a thread with lots of good info and a calculator. If you don't want to fuss with numbers, make ships move at the speed of plot - a speed that is always worth considering!
Very good! I was expanding on to previous comments regarding the Jovian system. Even if you would rather speak of other gas giants of which we have measurements, Saturn has a sizable magnetosphere, also. And it's expected that Uranus and Neptune will follow suit with proportional magnetospheres, too; although, theirs may be significantly weaker depending on how much metallic hydrogen is present in the planets. Quote:
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For comparison, if Earth generated the same field that Jupiter does, the Van Allen Belt would extend more than three times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. A body half the size of Earth would have an even ---- Since this conversation is derailing the thread, I'm only going to further respond to comments related to the OP's post. ---- Quote:
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---- In conclusion, all of these references are to give perspective on the realistic depiction of such a system as modern science explains it today, regardless of how the OP chooses to portray it. Personally, I think this detracts from the steampunk vibe and would look up the Victorian understanding of such things (remember Mars had water and Venus was a jungle planet back then, too). I would personally pick and choose carefully to craft the vibe you want and go from there. It was a time of rapid scientific advancement, and you could decide any number of competing theories are correct, as it suits your story.
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11-15-2015, 07:09 AM | #44 | ||||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: traveller
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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Last edited by thrash; 11-15-2015 at 07:33 AM. |
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11-15-2015, 11:53 AM | #45 | ||||
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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--- I'd be curious to know what the OP's thoughts are in general. It strikes me that he probably doesn't care what some engineers think or even what an n-body system implies. But if he does, I'll gladly hit up some sources and pull more detailed information with proper references to papers. Otherwise, I'd like some creative direction so I can better give my uninvited advise :)
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11-15-2015, 01:24 PM | #46 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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Mercury and Venus both have exceptionally low rotational rates, which suggests that their examples should be considered with some care. Rocky moons, tidally bound but in orbits on the order of days, are in a different environment. As you yourself pointed out, the icy moons of Jupiter have small but measurable magnetic fields presumably derived from salt water oceans below their surfaces maintained by tidal heating. Quote:
You are referring to M2P2 and not the so-called EM drive, though, aren't you? All of your linked threads were about the latter, which is a very different animal. |
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11-15-2015, 02:23 PM | #47 | |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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11-15-2015, 02:57 PM | #48 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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It's al mid to low energy charged particles and in terms of Gurps radiation rules it multiplies PF by 20. Any probable ship hull (and perhaps especially something steampunkish made of iron or steel) should be able to stop those particles. Likewise any atmosphere reaching Earth-like levels of breathability will stop such particles as well. The surface of some of the real world Galileans is dangerous to humans in thin-skinned suits or vehicles is because there is no significant atmosphere.
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11-15-2015, 03:48 PM | #49 | |
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
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11-16-2015, 01:44 AM | #50 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: [Space] Steampunk Firefly Idea
Oh, I said "interesting" for a reason. :p There would be all sorts tectonic activity, I'd think, too - volcanism, earthquakes, etc. I'm not sure it'd be truly uninhabitable, but it'd be difficult to colonize.
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