Space Voyage #1

[TheFaithfulStone]

Yes. Quite.

Maya isn't for the feint of heart or anything, but doing something that complex in POV-Ray... it's just... maschositic.

If I get some time, Maybe I'll put together some renders of our spaceship in Lightwave. Chances that I have that kind of time are slim though.

TFS
[POV-RAY!]

[TheBigDog]

Originally Posted by Racoon

We're launching June 1st, so everyone look alive!

Racoon, we are adding task master to your list of titles.

Pyro, I love your suggestion for the allocation of the deckspace. We have even more options than that actually. Each pod can have one, two or three levels. The connections are all on the bottom level, so that level is where traffic will be happening. There can be combinations of ladders, stairs and elevators within a pod to the upper levels. The center bay is actually a zero g lab. It not only contains the docking bay at the tip, but airlocks into the outer six cargo bays where the other equipment is stored.

Another thing I think we need is a manned vehicle that can walk around on the outside of the ship to allow external maintenance. There would be more than one of these so teams can do big jobs on the outside safely and easily. These would actually be the vehicles that were used to assemble the ship in Earth orbit. These are also how we get to the central cargo bay. The spokes are hollow and have crawl access for maintenance to remote parts of the ship as well.

Back to allocating the sections. I want the entire leading ring, all twelve pods to be dedicated to renewable supplies, meaning farming. Some of them may be single level, so large fruit trees can be grown so we don't get space scurvy. This is not a Tang ship, we eat real food. And I think we should keep bees, goats, chickens, and maybe pigs. I am not going vegetarian, and I like honey. Goats are probably the most versatile animal. With the proper type you get milk, leather, fat for soap, meat and fleece for fabric. And you can use the horns and hooves for something too, I am sure. I know Racoon is agricultural, but we may need a farmer on board. One or more.

And a blacksmith. We should have a supply of raw metals that a skilled blacksmith could craft into all sorts of replacement parts as needed. We are going to be high tech, and down to basics at the same time. Any volunteers for resident metal fabricator?

And one final thing. During some of the exteded drift periods as we have spare time between destinations I look forward to some all out full ship laser tag. Maybe we even slow the rotation so we have the whole ship at low G for the game.

Some more data... The decks of each outer rings float on a system of water filled tubes. This ring of water help insure that the vehicle is always balanced. This bed of water is about .5 meters deep, 9.5 meters wide. This is almost 3,000,000 liters of water. Our ventilation systems gather excess moisture from the air and put it back into the water supply. Portions of it are the waste system, and that water is purified and put pack into the main supply. This is a highly redundant system to insure that contamination does not get into the whole system, and should there be a leak, it will only effect one system. We will need a full time engineer to maintain the whole water system.

More to come. I am hope the jouney is as much fun as the preparations!

Bill (t-20)

[Jay-qu]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Now, can someone hand me a wrench? I need to tighten these bolts.
Jay-Qu? where's that grease pan at?

What do you think I am a mechanic? I dont get down and dirty unless I have to - otherwise I just tell you what to do and where

[Pyrotex]

Originally Posted by TheBigDog

...Pyro, I love your suggestion for the allocation of the deckspace. We have even more options than that actually. Each pod can have one, two or three levels. The connections are all on the bottom level, so that level is where traffic will be happening. There can be combinations of ladders, stairs and elevators within a pod to the upper levels. The center bay is actually a zero g lab. It not only contains the docking bay at the tip, but airlocks into the outer six cargo bays where the other equipment is stored....The decks of each outer rings float on a system of water filled tubes. This ring of water help insure that the vehicle is always balanced. ...

You're welcome!

When I wrote that list of module types, I was thinking that each module had three decks with two crawlspaces separating them--that's where much of the plumbing, venting, wiring goes. Each module is about 86 feet long (with a 100m ring diameter) or 172 feet long (with a 100m ring radius). Which one???

We won't be able to use sunlight for the gardens, cause we'll spend most of our time at Mars orbit or beyond. Way beyond. Artificial lighting is required. that also means the beans don't die when we have to point the ship so that sunlight is coming from the 'wrong' angle.

The water idea is a good one. Must keep ring balanced. But the ordinary waste water accumulation/distribution system would probably work. We can beef it up somewhat so that each module has its own reserve of potable water, and by shifting waste water and potable water, we can keep the ship spinning without wobble.

Do we want the central storage pods to rotate with the ring? Why not have the entire central shaft plus pods be non-rotating, and the ring is attached to a bearing around the central shaft that turns.

[TheBigDog]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

When I wrote that list of module types, I was thinking that each module had three decks with two crawlspaces separating them--that's where much of the plumbing, venting, wiring goes. Each module is about 86 feet long (with a 100m ring diameter) or 172 feet long (with a 100m ring radius). Which one???

It is the second one. 200 meters diameter. The pods are about 50 meters in length plus the connecting peices that lie between.

Artificial lighting is the order of the day. We will want to use something that won't be going through bulbs. There are plenty of portals for viewing the outside world, but they will not be a light source unless we are suffiently close to the sun.

I was thinking that we will have the central pod rotating to avoid the complication of the bearings. Aside from the structural crawlers for maintaining the ship, there are a couple of "fork truck" or "tug boat" ships that can be flow to grab and return space objects so that the mother ship doesn't need to do any really fine manuvering. We will need operators for these craft. Fuel for them is stored in 2/3rds of the main tank and is one of he limiting factors of what we can do without coming back to earth for replenishments. The structural crawlers would pull things out of the cargo bays and bring them to the center point of the ship. There it either lauches under its own power, or is carried by a tug to where it launches itself. Or it can be place into orbit by the tug.

One of our missions will be the deployment of a large arrayed telescope. Where should we deploy this, and what should its design be?

Bill

[TheBigDog]

The crew of the Prophesy is proud to announce today that Hypography will be the exclusive media outlet for publication of all scientific studies, findings and research that take place on this voyage.

Likewise, Hypography will be the official media outlet for direct
communications with the crew via the internet. This will be done at Forums.Hypography.com.

Bill

[ronthepon]

I, secret reprentative of the PCSD(Planetary commision for spatial dominance) designate your project unlawful without a proper inspection from the authorized officers.

Be prepared to submit all the details of your voyage and craft in three decades. Perform this submission in your media outlet. (ronthepon hinting. hint! hint!!)

Failure to do so will result in immediate termination of free beer subscription of all the people associated with the project.

Fineprint:
Please guys, don't destroy all my rep points, just a kid kidding around...

Say...

Got an extra seat? I sweep floors really well...
No?

[TheBigDog]

Originally Posted by ronthepon

I, secret reprentative of the PCSD(Planetary commision for spatial dominance) designate your project unlawful without a proper inspection from the authorized officers.

Be prepared to submit all the details of your voyage and craft in three decades. Perform this submission in your media outlet. (ronthepon hinting. hint! hint!!)

Failure to do so will result in immediate termination of free beer subscription of all the people associated with the project.

Fineprint:
Please guys, don't destroy all my rep points, just a kid kidding around...

Say...

Got an extra seat? I sweep floors really well...
No?

One thing that this crazy space business breeds is a sense of humor. You are certainly welcome aboard the Prophesy!

While sweeping floors is something we will need done, I am sure there are plenty of less mundain things that a willing individual can help with on this mission. And no matter your expectations and abilities at the beginning of the voyage, your experiences will outshine your wildest imagination.

Bill

[ronthepon]

Thanks a lot for the warm welcome.

I guess i'ts going to be around 12 to 48 hours before I could post here again and could'nt resist 'signing up' while I still could

[TheBigDog]

OK crew, this weekend in addition to our busy schedules preparing for our June 1st launch we are goinng to be doing a PR event. We will be serving a dinner with food that was grown/harvested in space on board the Prophesy. This should not effect our mission any other than taking some of our valuable time. This is for investors in the project, and countries who have been cooperative in helping us avoid "regulatory issues".

So, I believe at this point we have Racoon as our lead veggie grower. With Pyro and Boerseun in the kitchen. So what I am asking you guys to do is come up with a variety menu that will be typical during our voyage to give these people a taste of what it will be like to join us on the mission.

Can yo guys come up with a menu by Saturday?

Bill