Tag: future tech

Worldbuilding – Deep Interplanetary Transport

The Caravan Transport carries several hundred people on long-duration, deep interplanetary missions. The transport is pushed by several (4-10) shuttle escorts. These ‘Dagger Skiffs‘ also provide defensive capabilities.

‘Dagger Skiff‘ Escort/Shuttle Characteristics:
  • Size : 32 m (length) x ~ 14 m (width) x ~ 4m (height)
  • Mass:
    • unfueled: 6,000 kg
    • fully fueled: 17,000 kg
  • Powerplant: h-torch ignited fusion
  • Atmospheric propulsion: Magneto Hydro Dynamic Ionisation Boundary Flow
  • Vacuum propulsion: direct fusion
  • Max acceleration: ~15g (max permissible acceleration with human crew 6g sustained)
  • Defensive systems:
    • Precision Standoff and Point Defense, Directed Energy Weapons
    • Adaptive Directional Magnetic Confinement Plasma Shielding
    • Zeno-cognition active Information Warfare and exploit database

 

‘Caravan Transport’  Characteristics:
  • Size : 200 m (length) x ~ 12 m (width) x ~ 12m (height)Mass:
    • unfueled: 190,000 kg
    • fully fueled: 2,200,000 kg
  • Powerplant: h-torch ignited fusion plant.
  • Propulsion: high specific impulse vacuum ion thruster or coupled with ‘Dagger Skiffs’ for extended and high delta-v mission profiles.
  • Max acceleration:
    • using onboard ion-drive: 0.2 milligees
    • fully fueled and loaded with constellation of 4 ‘dagger-skiffs’: 0.7g
    • typical mission profile: 0.1g
  • Defensive systems:
    • Point Defense Directed Energy Weapons
    • Adaptive Directional Magnetic Confinement Plasma Shielding
    • Zeno-cognition active Information Warfare and exploit database
    • Primary defensive capabilities supplied by ‘dagger-skiff’ escorts

 

The ‘Caravan Transport‘ switches between a thrust-phase and coast-phase configuration. In the thrust-phase, the habitation modules are aligned with the axis of thrust. Acceleration in the range 0f 0.1 – 0.4g provides inertial gravity. In the coast-phase configuration, the habitation modules are deployed in a classic rotating hoop configuration generating spin-gravity for passengers and crew.

 

Tech from Singularity’s Children: Vacuum Dirigible



Article from the 1930s with a concept for a Vacuum Dirigible (Sky Whale).

“LONG before the invention of the Mongolfier fire balloon, and just as soon as it was discovered that air has weight, an ingenious clergyman, the Rev. Francis Lana, S. J., suggested that the buoyancy of a vacuum might be used to make an air-craft rise (as sketched at the right). This was the first real scientific suggestion for a lighter-than-air craft; before his time, people had suggested putting dew in a vessel, because “dew has a natural tendency to rise,” as shown by its evaporation. But, unfortunately, it is hard to make a ball which can resist a pressure of a ton to the square foot without collapsing, and yet be lighter than the air it displaces.”

The Singularity’s Children SkyWhale flexes its hull to ‘swim’ through the air and uses Magneto-Hydrodynamic affecters in its hull-envelope to accelerate plasma across its skin reducing drag and providing thrust.

The SkyWhale vacuum dirigible keeps its envelope open by magnetically containing super-fluid and spinning it through a helical loop up and down its hull. This active dynamic structure employs centripetal forces to keep the envelope open and requires less mass than an equivalent passive rigid structure.