Space Voyage #1

[TheBigDog]

This is a tangent from the Spaceship Design thead started by JQ. If this voyage goes well I hope to take a similar voyages aboard the more ambitions designs you will find on that thread. This is not for the feint hearted. It is for the fun hearted.

 

We have assembled our ship and it is in orbit around earth. We are in our current time with our current technology. Our ship is The Prophesy, a nuclear powered vessel with enough fuel to cruise with engines at full for 100 years. It is waiting in orbit for final outfitting for its maiden voyage. That voyage is a detailed exploration of our solarsystem and as far out as the oort cloud.

 

What I am looking for are volunteers to join me in outfitting the ship and exploring the solarsystem. As members of the crew you will be empowered to design experiments and equipment for carrying out those experiments. Some of those are designed to explore space, some of those are research for our next generation ships that will begin exploration beyond our solar system. We need geologists, astronomers, biologists, botonists, anthropologists, medical staff, resource recovery staff, maintenance crew, navigators, computer specialists, physists, chemists, generalists, humorists, brewmasters, students, interns, retired hobbyists and at least one hot chick.

 

Remember that we will be living on the ship together for an extended period of time. Depending upon how well we plan and how long we can stand each other! So some of what we will be planning is not just the science, but the society of living on the ship. We will need recreational activities along with our busy science schedules.

 

So, who wants so sign up, and what role will you be filling on our voyage of mind and space? We launch on June 1st. Until then we will take on crew members and decide upon the missions we would like to undertake and fill the ship with the equipment we will need.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

(T-30 days)

 

Bill - Space Voyage #1 Project Leader

 

*********************************************

 

Here are a front and side view of the ship. The diameter is around 200 meters. The sections are 50 meters long and 10 meters thick. They can have one, two or three decks internally. The six cargo bays are 75 meters long and 20 meters in diameter. They can hold whatever we want to put into them, but they have no atmosphere.

 

Ring shows a four layer living area totaling 48 sections. These rotate where they are held at the ends to keep the direction of "down" relative the g force being experienced. While the ship is accelerating the spin rate is adjusted to keep the living quarters at 1G. While coasting the ship is a maximum spin to maintain 1G. This area is meant to house the people plus the self sustaining resources to keep them fed and hydrated indefinitely.

 

The center cylinder is the nuclear fuel plus the liquid fuel used for trim controls and fueling the probes and shuttles. It is meant to last for 100 years of full throttle, plus multiple missions for the smaller craft, so it is big. I am not sure if the proportions are correct. The yellow section is the nuclear rocket that propels the ship.

 

The green area is the payload section. Seven large storage areas that can hold shuttles, probes, satellites, etc. The docking bay is at the nose of the center payload section.

 

[Racoon]

Where do I sign my soul over, Captain BigDog, of the USS Prophesy? SIR! [ten hut!]

 

What is our Mission?

And What is our Compensation?

[TheBigDog]

Where do I sign my soul over, Captain BigDog, of the USS Prophesy? SIR! [ten hut!]

 

What is our Mission?

And What is our Compensation?

I was hoping to see you here in the recruiting office Mr. Racoon. I know you have some expertise in herbal remedies and nutrition. If we have a crew of 100 on this first limited mission, how much deck space will you need to maintain gardens that will supply us with both nutritional and medicinal resources? What would the varieties of plants be? What would your methods of agriculture be? This is a primary concern for the success of the mission. What resources will you need on board the ship? Is this a mission you would be interested in? If not, perhaps you could suggest another.

 

As for compensation... how about a total feeling of purpose fulfillment that will last a lifetime?

 

Bill

[TheBigDog]

That would depend on the weight limit we can carry.

Dirt is very heavy. we will realistically need top-grade freeze dried meals. :)

We can grow some plants as a supplement.

 

I do have experience in Physiology and Biology as well.

Weight is not an issue. You have cart blanche for creating the agricultural area. Do you think that of the four rings would be enough? I am curious about how difficult what it would take to sustain the nutritional needs of 100 people in a closed environment like this. We can supplement with freeze dried, but for the purpose of future missions I want to begin experimenting with sustained farming. Do you need animals too? Bees? Goats?

 

As for other things? The Prophesy will take all that you can give to her! All of your input is welcome.

 

Welcome aboard The Prophesy. :)

 

Bill

[Jay-qu]

You can count me in :cup: resident astrophysicist at your service :)

[IDMclean]

Hehe, I guess I could join this. KAC reporting for duty, Theoretical Physist and IT. What is our purpulsion type? Are we capable of re-couping our fuels? Also what will our Destination be, Alpha centauri?

[InfiniteNow]

I'd love to take the voyage with such a fine crew. I'd like my role to be something like the Whoopi Goldberg bartender character on Star Trek, Next Gen... Where I smoke cigars and pour (and enjoy) drinks and have wonderful and insightful conversations with everyone... Oh, and maybe get caught up in the Nexxus at some point too. :phones:

[Pyrotex]

...What I am looking for are volunteers to join me in outfitting the ship and exploring the solarsystem...

I will volunteer, SIR!

Pyrotex, computer specialist and sensor technologist reporting for duty.

I can also cook, and I have some experience as a hot chick inspector.

[TheBigDog]

You can count me in :phones: resident astrophysicist at your service :note2:

Welcome aboard JQ! I bet an astrophysicist comes in handy in outer space! From an astrophysicist's perspective, what would be on your short list of things to explore within our solarsystem? We can go pretty much anyplace we want, but need to stay a safe distance from the sun. Ours is a cold space ship, and not shielded for what the sun is dishing out. What would be your pleasure? Deploying an array of space telescopes for coordinated observations? Putting probes in orbit of other heavenly bodies for continious survey? What is your fancy for this trip?

 

Bill

[TheBigDog]

Hehe, I guess I could join this. KAC reporting for duty, Theoretical Physist and IT. What is our purpulsion type? Are we capable of re-couping our fuels? Also what will our Destination be, Alpha centauri?

Welcome aboard KickAssClown! We have nuclear pulse engines fueled by recycled nuclear waste. We have fuel enough for 100 years at full throttle. The designers are hoping they maintain 1G of accelleration, but we will determine that during our intial trials. Our first mission is within our solar system, although in theory the ship is capable of being self sustained almost indefinatly. That is another thing being tested on this mission. As a theoretical physicist perhaps you would like to design the performance trials for our engines. They have never been fired. The truth of their capabilities will be learned when we light them up!

 

Bill

[TheBigDog]

I'd love to take the voyage with such a fine crew. I'd like my role to be something like the Whoopi Goldberg bartender character on Star Trek, Next Gen... Where I smoke cigars and pour (and enjoy) drinks and have wonderful and insightful conversations with everyone... Oh, and maybe get caught up in the Nexxus at some point too. :phones:

Ah... InfiniteNow! Perhaps you are interested in being our "Moral Officer". There is a catch to keeping us in the vices that you have outlined. We need to sustain all products that will be consumed by the crew. If we want beverages, we need a brewery. If we want cigars, we need to grow the tobacco. I don't want the pretense of us having a completeley sober crew. If you want to brew stuff, what is the equipment that you will need, and how much space will it take? We have more than enough energy. We are just tight on space. We can even call your area Ten Forward if you want. But I won't call you Guynan.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Bill

[TheBigDog]

I will volunteer, SIR!

Pyrotex, computer specialist and sensor technologist reporting for duty.

I can also cook, and I have some experience as a hot chick inspector.

Hot chick inspector it is! Someone has to be the authority on such matters. And cook too? Consider this for me... what can you do in the kitchen if you only have access to herbs, spices, and food that we grow or raise onboard? It might be a challenge indeed!

 

But what I am really interested in are your technical skills! Computer specialist and sensor specialist. I have a proposal for you... Should we build a set of completely prefabbed probes and satellites, or should we have frames with power supplies and have modular sensor systems that we can deploy by mixing and matching to the various things we encounter? Any thoughts on what youo would like to go out and do in ouor ship as it flies at will throughout our solar system? Pick your mission and it will happen!

 

Welcome aboard The Prophesy!

 

Bill

[TheBigDog]

TheBigDog Reporting: T-29

 

Since the public announcement of our mission we have begun to assemble a fine crew. Over the next 29 days as we prepare for launch I am certain that our ranks will grow, and our plans for exploration begin to fall into place.

 

I have some personal goals for this exploration.

 

Determine the capability for sustained, non replenished operations. This will be crucial research for missions into deep space where there is no telling what will be found, or how long the mission will last.

Demonstrate the ability to travel around the solar system at high speed going where we choose, when we choose (the exception to this is close proximity to the sun for which our ship is not equipped).

Deploy probes and satellites around planets, let them spend time in automated research, then recover and redeploy them in other tasks.

Deploy and recover surface rovers on various planets and moons.

Deploy and recover shuttles for manned exploration of various planets and moons.

Explore and sample comets in the cold deep of space while they are "sleeping"

 

These are just some of my own goals and expectations from the maiden voyage of the Prophesy. With 29 days until our launch we have much work ahead of us. Work that will be exceeded only by the joy of the tasks.

 

It is my hope that my fellow travelers will avail themselves to keep periodic logs of their own experience aboard the Prophesy so that our unique and historic perspective of living this dream will be to the benefit of all mankind.

 

Bill

[Jay-qu]

We would have to carry along with us a large array of generic observational sattellites that we can leave lying around in various parts of the solar system. Juipiter is definitly worth a visit, I hear that it is good this time of year :hihi: deploy a some probes to a few moons and move on to saturn.

[TheFaithfulStone]

Stone signing up.

 

Umm... PR. Incase you meet any aliens and need to convince them to buy some cheeseburgers or something.

 

Oh yeah, and battle-bot building.

 

TFS

[InfiniteNow]

Ah... InfiniteNow! Perhaps you are interested in being our "Moral Officer". ...We can even call your area Ten Forward if you want. But I won't call you Guynan.

Moral officer doesn't sound good for me... how about, "Resident sounding board?" ;)

[Racoon]

Spave Voyage #1 Crew, so far:

 

BigDog - Captain

Jay-qu - lieutenant Astrophysicist

KAC - lieutenant Theoretical physicist

Pyrotex - Ship cook and babe inspector

TFS - Chief Battle-Bot officer

InfiniteNow - Chief Sounding Board officer

and Racoon - Supreme Commanding Emir and Chancellor :cup: :hihi: