Does anyone want to discuss interstellar propulsion?

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[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

I forget off hand, but if you really want I could dig through my notes to find the 3 or 4 standard rocket fuel combinations I liked best, usually including peroxide and kerosene and/or similar mixes. All of them have their pros and cons, from being extremely reactive and dangerous to being extremely toxic and dangerous. If there was ever a leak in space and an astronaut got some on the outside of their suit, they could be in some next level shit - something interesting I've considered but can't fit in my story, unless my story is fleshed out into a trilogy, miniseries, or a longer format.

I'm more interested in developments in ion propulsion (solar powered?) and solar wind sails which are ever so mild but cumulatively noteworthy in the vacuum of space with ZERO resources except what you bring. It's been so long I've forgotten much of it. None of it is critical to my story, and in fact, as much as I'd like to (perhaps in a novelization), I've even considered not delving into fuel details at all in order to focus on driving the action and story and bringing other ideas to fore that people can't just easily look up.

Importantly and critical to my story is my completely unique process of getting into space, the space vehicles and stations, etc.

IMO, interstellar travel is impossible sci-fi without some kind of major unforeseen breakthroughs. Further, we really have no idea how much dust and debris is out there in the Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, and beyond. IMO the scientific consensus is daftly overlooking the vast amounts of "stuff" that must obviously be out there that is not big and dense enough to be radioactive or light emitting. They talk about it like Dark Matter and Dark Energy are a mystery. I say nonsense. The Universe is vast and expanding sure, but it certainly doesn't mean that everything freely floating adrift has collapsed into solar systems. IMO the Universe is faaaaaaar more dusty than anyone imagines, and not all elements and chemicals are born in stars. High-speed impacts on all scales are very serious and underrated. Earth's oceans came from ice-based meteors. I suspect our oceans of oil came from carbon-based meteors creating complex chains under heat on impact too.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I don't plan on focusing on the logistics hardly at all, it's boring after all, but they do determine what is and isn't possible within the story so I feel it's important for me to know them.

One great series, Blood on the Stars, has, particularly in the first book, references to suicide attacks. The problem it introduces is that it's obviously incredibly destructive to send a vessel with a powerplant with all of its ordinance, potentially at relativistic speeds into a target.

You see the logistics problem that creates? Why would they have their more traditional scifi ship battles risking thousands of lives when one craft, one possibly unmanned craft, that would likely be destroyed anyways, could end the entire battle?

That detail should have changed all the combat in every one of his stories. And although you can just suspend disbelief, it still nags me a bit.

That question, why aren't (particularly) FTL drives used as superweapons bugs me. I think there needs to be a reason why not, or it needs to be incorporated.

And of course logistics affect mundane details like travel times that are important to keep things consistent. Although I suppose it doesn't matter if it's arbitrary as long as it's constant.

[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Yes, among several elements that drive the plot of my story under pressure of a deadline, is the Kessler effect.

Reminds me of how stupid The Last Jedi was. Further, the physics of the impact make no sense either. She takes off at warp speed or whatever, some of the debris will be out of sight - and in the vacuum of space certainly won't be slowing down as it spreads out in a dramatic fashion, like it's underwater, beautifully shot as it is.

I don't know Blood On The Stars but they would be much wiser to simply launch a field of small debris like ye olde grapeshot. Everything in space is traveling at vast relative speeds. Rarely are things aligned and matching velocity. I could throw a roll of pennies at you and it would hurt or I would miss. If I unroll 50 pennies and throw them at you they might sting in many places. If I unroll 50 (or 50,000) pennies and release them in orbit at thousands of miles an hour - critical damage. No need for bombs or complete annihilation, just enough to ruin things with no supply or emergency ship able to rescue them in time. Pros: a critically damaged ship is much better than an exploded ship with thousands or millions of random pieces of junk. Cons: there are now 50,000 pennies in orbit to track too - plus all the debris from the minor critical hits.

Among my fave episodes:
/s/StarTrek/comments/adk/star_trek_the_next_generation_the_high_ground/

For my story, people are being phased out of working in space, meanwhile space tourism is just beginning. Too many strict requirements to keep humans alive. A.I. and robotics and remote controls will suffice. IMO humans will never go past the moon or lunar Lagrange points.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I guess what I'm working on right now screenwriters call a "Bible." Outlining the rules of the fictional universe.

[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Interesting. I don't need a Silmarillion because I'm sticking to hard-sci-fi (my fave) where reality and logic prevail. I still appreciate fantasy and myth and stuff but I have no need for monsters, magic, and bad physics. However, I have a backstory of development to the events in the story to lend it gravitas, history, and rational reasons for things being as they are - and I need to seamlessly weave that in naturally without seeming like obvious exposition. Many of my threads will inevitably end up on the editing floor.