On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:28:57 -0800 (PST), "Tom Sr."
<tomswiftsr@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>On Jan 31, 7:09 am, b...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(B1ackwater) wrote:
>> Oh, and why are most sci-fi space****ps needle-shaped,
>> kind of like stretched-out Concorde jetliners or big
>> TV towers covered with pods ?
>
>You mean, like our *real* space****ps are now?
>
>Because they travel through atmosphere as well as in space. Thus the
>early SF films and television into 50s and 60s were given shapes to
>allow them to travel through both.
>
>The idea of a vessel that travel ONLY in space did not start making it
>into films until the late 1960s. The original STAR TREK and 2001: A
>SPACE ODYSSEY both had ****ps that showed examples of this concept.
Kubricks space ****p WAS *****-shaped ... however the
excuse was to keep the nuclear-powered engine section
well away from the (spherical) crew section.
Roddenberrys 'Enterprise' was, and remains, an extremely
WEIRD design. I don't think ANYBODY (human anyway) would
build such a thing. Note how the 'alien' ****ps in the
original and latter series were always '***ier' than
Kirks garbage scow :-)
Really old sci-fi spacecraft, well, they brought the
whole booster along with them. Same rocket that left
the ground.
Admittedly, dual-purpose spacecraft - one intended to
enter an atmosphere on occasion - would need to retain
a certain aerodynamic look ... although perhaps no
'***ier' than the space shuttle.
>> That's the WORST possible
>> shape for a spacecraft. They should all look like
>> 'death stars', round balls, instead. Solves all kinds
>> of torque, vibration and differential acceleration
>> problems.
>
>You never watched BABLYON 5, did you?
I recall a very late or post episode where they
built a pair of huge 'needle' spacecraft. Can
you IMAGINE the G-forces and structural stresses
that would come from trying to change directions
with such a monstrosity ? It would want to pull
itself apart in the middle ... not to mention
the whole thing vibrating like a guitar string
every time they fired a thruster or engine.
Sorry, but Lucas got it right with his 'death star'.
Just gotta remember not to put any direct ****ts to
the reactor in the design :-) I recall a 'trek'
with a huge spherical (but modular) craft piloted
by a midget too. Leslie Neilsons flying saucer ...
kind of a compromise IMHO.
Oh well, sci-fi generally has much more emphasis
on the "-FI" ...
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