Hi everyone,
I'm now involved with a new web series that will revive the old Lost in Space franchise. This means that we needed to create a "new" Jupiter 2 that makes some sort of sense. Those of you familiar with the original know quite well that the ship as designed could never house the two decks shown in the TV show.
The original ship was only 52 feet in diameter (depending on who you talk to). This worked with the early concept shown in the pilot episode in which the ship had only one deck. But since the broadcasted show firmly established the two-story version but never bothered to re-work the exterior of the ship to reconcile the change, I had to go back and re-visit everything about the craft in an attempt to "make it work."
Rather than play the game the movie did and completely toss out the original design, we decided that the ship is so iconic that we wanted to preserve the proportions of Robert Kino****a's original design. (edit: Robert KinoSHEETA - LOL to the language filter!)
After a lot of experimentation, I settled on a new diameter of 98'-4". While this may seem arbitrary, it actually results from careful studies of the landing gear and lower deck, which I'll go into more detail in succeeding posts. A smaller diameter can work, but it means drastically altering the lower level to accommodate the landing gear structures.
Edited to change the thumbnail...
Posts
So I'm liking the idea of keeping the ship the same, just giving it proper dimensions. My only nitpick would be that I'd have made it a full 100' in diameter since your version is so close to that number anyway. I just have this thing about whole numbers. I see the 98' 4" and think "what would it hurt to add that extra one-foot and eight inches? A little extra hull reinforcement would explain that real easy!"
I'm very much looking forward to seeing this project develop. A new LIS web series based on the original show sounds like a very cool idea.
Good idea, though that would require an even larger ship. Our goal was to "make it work" without ending up with something the size of a 747. So there was a conscious effort to keep it as small as possible. The interiors will be quite faithful to the original, though with the larger ship it gives us more room on the upper deck for additional compartments.
@Buckaroohawk - Just think of it as 30 meters.
@Nick - Well the interiors are being completely worked out. (e.g. it's 174 inches from the lower deck level to the ground. So we know exactly how many steps to put on landing leg #1.) Since no one knows how much space a "real" interstellar engine would take up we're reserving a reasonable amount of space for the drive systems and equipment such as cryogenics, computers, life support, etc.
One new change is that the space pod now exits vertically. That way it can still be used if the ship is landed.
The drive ofthe J-2 is supposed to be a field drive. This means that it effects leave the J-2 at near light-speed or exactly light-speed. This is important, as it affects how much fuel is needed to be carried.
In the real world, there has been work done on using microwaves. Mircowaves are a field drive. And do travel at light speed. There have been several articles on the topic.
The 'physical' portion needed not be very large. That isn't the problem, the problem is the power generator.
In other words, that portion of the Unitech drive system, may be the tip of the ice berg. Which is a good starting point. So from what is visible from the out side, assume that is 1/8 of the total.
People expect that field accelerate the entire ship at once, much as gravity does. But, "if" you were to use for example microwaves, this wouldn't be true. In some ways it would behave as a rocket engine. Now start thinking in terms of the mass of the J-2. This too determines the size of the powerplant/engine - for the sake of argument, I will assume that they are the samething.
What I am saying is two things here. You can go the very realistic route, or anywhere in between.
Now about fuel supply. Just how fast is required? This determines the fuel supply. I would say forty-five percent of the fuel to get up to speed, and of of course down. Which leaves a ten percent margine. Remembering that there was no thought to aerobraking back then. Aerbraking would aloow a little extra in terms of safety.
So how about this? Get up to fifty percent light-speed....
So I am half asleep at the moment.
This is completely typical and to be expected of physically built sets i think, i'd never base the size of the ship on how its displayed as a set piece without some careful checking.
In BSG (TOS) the vipers were built too short to save money and space, another good example is the tiny Millenium Falcon from the star wars films, it looks ok until someone points out you wouldn't be able to even stand in the corridors. Of course since the 3d era, babylon 5 and onwards you can make them any size you want, which you might think would solve it, but occasionally leads to more monkeying around with scaling.
Been busy re-doing the J2 for the web series and I couldn't post updates until the official reveal, which was yesterday. Here are the schematic plans for the upper and lower decks. Operative word is schematic. Things will change as the series approaches the start of filming!
Or is a robot in its own right?
But very very good, and well done.
It's hard to explain without pics, so I'll probably upload schematics of what I am talking about in a day or two...
It is a brillant piece of thought.
Just like on the Discovery...
Very Nice.
To keep the intimate scale and to reduce set construction costs, we decided to carve out the hull and recess an intermediate-sized viewport.
The lighting strips also serve double-duty as the upper and lower generators for a plasma window which helps protect the viewport at extremely high speeds against vacuum pressure in interstellar space.
There are also a double set of crash doors that completely close off the recess.
Was that for me? so I wouldn't raise any questions?;) If so, your 'consideration' is greatly appreciated. Leaving me laughing at myself, for taking myself too seriously.
Look up the APG-77. You know the radar on the F-22a Raptor.
The only thing I can see is that secondary lift slides out after landing, with a secondary ramp...
A good idea.
If I had one crit, it would be that after looking at the close-up of the landing gear, if you were to add small bevels to the edges it would help give the light an edge to play off of. Not sure if that is critical for the project though, and it would add a bit to rendering times.
I am really looking forward to seeing this puppy fly! And crash. And fly again. And... well you get the idea
And please, please say you won't have giant talking carrots?
Al
Yeah, I plan on adding a lot of little details. The general approach will be to build the various pieces of the ship to a high level of detail as we determine the storyboards of the episodes. So the beveling tools will be my friend. There may never be "one" all-inclusive J2 3d model. We'll probably have several dozen that are detailed at differing resolutions for different purposes.
No talking carrots. But I wouldn't rule out flamboyant Brussels Sprouts...
ETA: The ep in question is likely "The Raft", according to what I've been able to look up.
There is roughly 4 feet between the lower deck and the top of the fusion core, so there is space for crawl ways below deck. The cramped conditions here can actually allow for a bit more drama in the storylines if warranted.
The new show will be a re-boot. The story begins about 50 years prior to the launch of the Jupiter 2 and will provide some backstory to what Aeolus 14 Umbra meant (the call sign used by Dr. Smith). The first episode will be a re-make of The Reluctant Stowaway, but the story veers off from there.
Multiple cut aways - bow/stern, port/starboard, and so on. Partial cross sections through the pod bay...
Lets, see. That adds up to about ten thousand hours of work...:D
No, seriously, it will place limits upon what can be done, that you shouldn't have the problem of inconsistancies, that ohters have had.
Pity that you can't have a rolling cut away... So that anyone can look through form any angle...
It is even a greater pity, that one couldn't lets say zoom in on the computer bay, and look. As if you were a technician...
Individual integrated circuit details not required.;)
You are correct, I beleive. "The Raft" was the first appearance of the Engine Room, but "The Space Creature" is the one where they knocked a critter into the engine.
If you have chosen to "re-engineer" the ship, by all means go for it. I was under the assumption that you were trying to stay as "canon true" as possible, so I brought it up.
This is still top-shelf work! Keep it up!
Cool. Are you going with a terrestrial origin (a la the movie) or alien (the series)?
Thanks! The first episode will go into more detail, but the Jupiter 2 is an entirely human-engineered version of the Jupiter 1, which was not.