3DExtreme Deep Space Vessel

Mindfields · February 2011

Hello, I've been lurking for a little while I thought I might share a little project I'm starting.

For a while now I've had a fascination with spaceships that use the tractor configuration for their engine alignment. So naturally I was inspired by the Venture Star from the movie Avatar (probably the best part of the movie and deserve far more air time). I'm also drawing influence from the Icarus II from the movie Sunshine.

Anyway, I'm looking to design a spacecraft that reasonably realistic based on projected future technologies (somewhere about 100 to 200 years using a quasi-pessimistic approach). Assuming advancements in materials, antimatter production, cryo stasis technology, nano-technology and the early period production of exotic matter.

I haven't worked out the details yet but the ship will have a an eventual velocity of .4c, and capable of undertaking a 1000 year voyage.

I'm attaching some 3D mock-ups of the general design and would appreciated any constructive suggestions.

Cheers!

Alnair · February 2011

Interesting design. The only thing I wouldn't like as a crew member is the fact that the engines' exhaust is pointing at the crew modules.

Mindfields · February 2011

Well yes and no, there the exudate is angled slightly away from the rest of the ship (resulting in a minor cosine loss to thrust) and there is a shadow shielding system... though I would be more worried about the brutal gamma radiation from the Antimatter Matter annihilation "rockets". :P

Dannage · February 2011

Looks pretty sensible. From an aesthetic point of view I find the shield a bit flatter than I would like and I follow that thinking with then more practical reasons for making it slope or curve a bit, and that's it it flies head on into something, a flat surface would have a chance of then pushing the body if not for the length of its joruney, then at least for a few days or weeks or even years. This would then lead to the ship needing to propel X amount more mass than it was due to, which if it's planning a 1000 year journey, may result in falling short of the target by the time they ran out of gas.

By making the end a more rounded shape, you're more likely to get knocked slightly off course by an impact with a larger object but at least you'll only have to correct your thrust vector thingy for a short time to get back on track. Yeah, I'm all about the science I am.

Mindfields · February 2011

Indeed, I've been thinking about that and thought I could solve the inherent weakness of the radiator problem and impact protection by incorporating the radiator and the shield into one. The idea I'm toying with is essentially a molten shield, the heat being fed from the rockets - the shield will inevitably take heavy damage at speeds of 0.4c , even from relatively small objects... the debris collides with the molten surface and is absorbed, hopefully replacing material lost in the impact. The shield would have purging devices if it mass reaches a certain threshold. Of cause, I haven't really any idea of this scheme would work, even assuming significant advancements in engineering.

citizen · February 2011

Mindfields wrote: »

Indeed, I've been thinking about that and thought I could solve the inherent weakness of the radiator problem and impact protection by incorporating the radiator and the shield into one. The idea I'm toying with is essentially a molten shield, the heat being fed from the rockets - the shield will inevitably take heavy damage at speeds of 0.4c , even from relatively small objects... the debris collides with the molten surface and is absorbed, hopefully replacing material lost in the impact. The shield would have purging devices if it mass reaches a certain threshold. Of cause, I haven't really any idea of this scheme would work, even assuming significant advancements in engineering.

Have you looked at the Valkyrie?

Mindfields · February 2011

citizen wrote: »

Have you looked at the Valkyrie?

Yeah, very recently though. I've not read the details of the Valkyrie yet - the droplet shield is intriguing though.

Mindfields · February 2011

Here's an example of a planet to planet "bus" used to ferry personnel and materials to various locations in space. SWAN NSWR - a nuclear rocket capable of "zipping" around the solar system at a reasonable pace (Earth to Mars in 3 weeks).

Again, it's at mock-up

Jenny · February 2011

Are you familiar with the Atomic Rocket page? There's a lot of good material there for hard-sci-fi crafters.

Mindfields · February 2011

Jenny wrote: »

Are you familiar with the Atomic Rocket page? There's a lot of good material there for hard-sci-fi crafters.

Yeah, citizen's link took me there - it looks to be a useful resource.

Mindfields · February 2011

Some Progress on the Antimatter Matter Annihilator Engine.

Including Ion guns (wip), nozzle, reaction chamber, containment chamber and delivery mechanisms.

I still need to model the support structure, power cables, and shock absorbers.

The textures are temporary.

Mindfields · March 2011

Some more work on the SWAN NSWR.

Some progress on the Radiators. Eventually they will fold up when not in use.

Mindfields · March 2011

Some more of the radiators

Dannage · March 2011

Lookin good fella. I like the segmentation on the spheres, makes em look kinda cool. I think I would prefer smoothing the main body though. What are your thoughts?

Mindfields · March 2011

Dannage wrote: »

Lookin good fella. I like the segmentation on the spheres, makes em look kinda cool. I think I would prefer smoothing the main body though. What are your thoughts?

I've been considering that, my idea was to increase the overall surface area of the reaction chamber as a minor form of heat insulation. But after coming back to it, I'm prefer it to be smother too.

Mindfields · March 2011

A little more structure work... taking inspiration from a spider's web.

Mindfields · March 2011

Well the IECV James Cook has undergone a bit of an overhaul since the initial mock-ups - thanks to citizen, Jenny and Nyrath (for writing "So You Wanna Build A Rocket?") I have decided to take influence from the Valkyrie, particularly the length and approach to radiation & impact shielding.

I've installed a droplet radiation system that will propel the heated droplets ahead of the ship - here's an exert I found on the Atomic Rocket Site.

In addition to shielding against gamma shine and avoiding the absorption of engine heat, another major design consideration is shielding against interstellar dust grains. Flying through space at significant fractions of lightspeed is like looking through the barrel of a super particle collider. Even an isolated proton has a sting, and grains of sand begin to look like torpedoes. Judging from what is presently known about the nature of interstellar space, such torpedoes will certainly be encountered, perhaps as frequently as once a day. Add to this the fact that as energy from the matter-antimatter reaction zone (particularly gamma radiation) shines through the tungsten shields and other ship components, the heat it deposits must be ejected.

Jim Powell and I have a system that can perform both services (particle shielding and heat shedding), at least during the acceleration and coast phases of flight. We can dump intercepted engine heat into a fluid (chiefly organic material with metallic inclusions) and throw streams of hot droplets out ahead of the ship. The droplets radiate their heat load into space before the ship accelerates into and recaptures them in magnetic funnels for eventual reuse. These same heat-shedding droplets can ionize most of the atoms they encounter by stripping off their electrons. The rocket itself then shuts the resulting shower of charged particles - protons and electrons - off to either side of its magnetic field, much the same as when a boat's prow pushes aside water.

The power generated by occasional dust grains should range from the equivalent of rifle shots to (rarely) small bombs. These detonate in the shield, harmlessly, far ahead of the ship. Fortunately, almost all of the interstellar particles likely to be encountered are fewer than 20 microns across (10,000 microns = 1 centimeter), and we should expect no more than one impact per day per square meter of Valkyrie's flight path profile...

...One of the great advantages of a droplet shield is that it is constantly renewing itself. Put a dent in it, and the cavity is immediately filled by outrushing spray.

I'm purposing a similar system

The second big change is the overall length of the ship, I've extended it from 1600+meters to 5000+meters. This is actually for practical reasons; there will be a huge crew (though the vast majority will be in cyro-stasis at any given time) and colony start up materials. The trip is essentially one way, so you need to bring as much as you can and make the most of it.

Mindfields · March 2011

I'm going to start work on the shuttle craft soon - I'm been inspired by some old school spaceplanes that would have worked, but were scrapped anyway.

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