Space Race

[Xyrael]

I've noticed both Oz and Myroria are intending to do something which no country has done yet. This is beyond the moon, the types of engines, 100 years to the next star, its absurd. Not only has the RP council not approved the technology, the stance I've heard so far is that even Moon colonies are not allowed. I'm not even sure about the policy on satellites and space stations, the latter of which being an absolute must to refuel the craft for the absurd voyage using any type of real fuel. Show me a ship that detonates nukes from it's ass IRL and i'll let you do it, otherwise save it for the the future RP forums... I don't mind the theoretical research, but if people take these threads as proof they can and just "do it" then i'm highly against this.

Hell, the US can't even get to the moon again, Bush spent $1 billion on NASA saying itll get us to Mars (i fell out of my chair it was so hilarious).... even if the moon landing wasnt staged, which is doubtful, america hasnt done it since, and doesnt know how to do it again. To go from not being able to land on the moon to sending nuclear rockets to another star, well... "yea, right"

Also, if harvesting resources from someplace other than the earth was "profitable" or "feasible", why hasn't the "free market" done it? The only reason we got to space is because the Soviet Union didnt give a damn about profit.

[Gulliver]

Well, fuel and logistics aside, the real problem is that if you tried to get anywhere beyond the Earth's or Taijitu's protective magnetic field you'd be fried by all those wonderful high energy cosmic rays and such. Short of building a spaceship out of lead, and I ponder how you'd get that off the ground.

[Xyrael]

Then there's another problem of... you travel that fast you're going to have to slow down. You arent gonna abandon a nuclear rocket in space to deploy a small pod and land on the surface, with no feasible way to return to earth. And there's no feasible way to land a rocket and be ensured you can launch it again, most of the stuff we shoot into space ends up crashing in water when it re-enters.

[Romanar]

I don't think cosmic rays are a deal-killer.  After all, we DID make it to the moon (conspiracy theories notwithstanding).  However, there's a HUGE gap between sending a manned rocket to the moon and sending anything beyond the star system.

[Myroria]

Project Orion.

This was made in the late '50s. There was only one reason it was canceled: Nuclear test bans. The problems can be overcome, and anyone could get rid of fallout or EMP to the surface by just piggybacking the ship until it was in high orbit, when you jettison it and fly down to let it do it's thing. I'm not sending it to a star, I'm sending it to Orestes, and how come it's so feasable, nay, inavoidable, to get to Mars even though there's cosmic rays? How come deep space probes we sent aren't destroyed yet?

And quite honestly, I don't have to listen to the RP council. I'd love to see you stop me or Oz from doing it.

[Xyrael]

Based on that idea, Garth, I present you with the project TIS-1 (laser rifles), nuclear fusion, and HULA (which should be flying right now but DARPA's budget for this year was cut)... I thought after what happened with tech in the Lex we agreed upon not using stuff that wasnt in use, no matter the reason.

[Khem]

honestly i'll just ignore it.

[Xyrael]

as will I, if th RP council doesnt approve it, it or any benefits it gives should be ignored (gotta love winner takes all democracy)

[Khem]

agreed my friend.

[Myroria]

Go ahead. Ignore it. I really don't give a damn.

[Gulliver]

Keep in mind, said mission to the Moon certainly was far from as lengthy as anymore spectacular mission would be, and they enjoyed a distinct lack of any sort of major solar flare or such, which are quite dangerous if you don't have a proper magnetosphere to protect you.

I believe that the moon also passes through the  tail end of the Earth's magnetosphere. No idea if this has anything to do with this.

I'm not going to claim any definite knowledge; I've heard conflicting info on just how serious a challenge prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation would pose. Regardless, there still remains the arguments of Xyrael's part anyway.

[Xyrael]

Just so you don't feel I'm targetting you, Myro, this post (the original one) named entirely the system Oz was using, I wasn't sure the intention of you post, I only read the first portion. I think both are fudge, and I'll ignore both. Satellites are fine, space stations are fine by me, and civilian space colonies hell i dont have a prob with either. But beyond the moon (maybe mars) should really be left for future RP.

[Myroria]

The whole idea of it is that it detonates a bomb 200 feet behind it, and catches the energy on it's pusher plate. By the time you reach Orestes, the energy will have dimmed because space in a solar system isn't a total vacuum (gravity and things prevent it from being one), so rockets at the front of the ship could easily stop it if timed right.

And I only plan to go to Orestes (Mars except closer to Daedalus), no farther.

[NFIC]

so basically your writing a personal story that will accomplish nothing if everyone ignores it

[Bustos]

Not to mention the needed resources (trading partners) to even fund such a thing.

But enjoy RPing a story no one accepts or supports.