Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Posts tagged spaceships

This tag doesn't have any usage information yet.

This tag doesn't have a detailed wiki yet.

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Is depicting scenes of sub-FTL deep space travel with burning engines accurate?

I've seen many sci-fi scenes that feature a ship underway on a deep space journey. As the ship passes the vantage point we can see engines burning during sub-FTL speeds (The Expanse most recently)....

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Fuser‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Fuser‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Alternatives to radiators for spaceships

I'm doing research for a space opera with some hard sci-fi elements. One faction does use radiators (dusty plasma particles held in magnetic fields- which would create the effect of glowing wings o...

14 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by JTriptych‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by JTriptych‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Effects of a supermassive ship colliding with a planet

The basis of my story revolves around a single survivor escaping a massive colony ship gone critical above the skies of an alien world. After his escape via escape pod, the ship crashes halfway acr...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Don'tQuestionTheMuse‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Don'tQuestionTheMuse‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How would a Crystalline species send a probe into space?

I'm creating an Alien race based on Silica-Quartz crystals. While their planet is inhospitable to humans, the tectonically and volcanically active surface has created an abundance of crystalline fo...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Hewholooksskyward‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Hewholooksskyward‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How could a Jovian cloud-dwelling race develop space flight?

I have been wracking my brain with this one. I'm writing a story where a number of alien races who are unable to leave their homeworld for one reason or another send probes into space out of sheer ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Hewholooksskyward‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Hewholooksskyward‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How would a Plant Phylum Bio-Ship communicate with its home planet?

One of the worlds I'm creating has a planet-wide communal sentient Biosphere (similar to Avatar). They have evolved the ability to bio-engineer whatever they need, and they have decided to send a p...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Hewholooksskyward‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Hewholooksskyward‭

50%
+0 −0
Rigorous Science How much liquid hydrogen to stop neutron radiation?

I have a spaceship that's powered by an efficient hydrogen fusion drive, but the drive outputs a large amount of dangerous neutron radiation as a side effect, and those neutrons are not captured an...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by TPK‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by TPK‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Cheap Space travel

A disclaimer: There is a lot of real Science involved. Imagine a world which is exactly a copy of Earth (at least in terms of power as a species and technology). There is a company that aims to m...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Kavi Vaidya‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Kavi Vaidya‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A A way to hinder interstellar portalling? FTL travel

So I'm working on a story that at its groundwork has a lot of sciency things, and then has a lot of unsciency things attached to it. The story has an FTL drive which is the good old "fold space, pu...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Demigan‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Demigan‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Solar radiation overflow

Assume that you are in an alien star system. Your ship is currently being hit by a phenomenon called solar overflow, which messes up your electronics and can kill you without good shielding. It is ...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Shion‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Shion‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Could ships in space use a Steam Engine?

When in space, the amount of force required to move goes down drastically, due to the virtual lack of drag. In this environment, would be feasible for engines in space (more specifically belonging ...

15 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Uncle Tres‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Uncle Tres‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Self-sealing spaceship

I am writing a Sci-Fi story that involves space ships shooting each other, as is the custom. I'm using a lot of handwavium, e.g. reactionless drives, FTL, gravity plating, etc., but I'd like the ac...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Morfildur‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Morfildur‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Does my idea of FTL make any sense?

In my universe, there exist molecular level machines that can behave as a single entity. The humans use them for many purposes, including faster than light travel. The concept is as it follows: T...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Mattias Constantin‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Mattias Constantin‭

50%
+0 −0
Rigorous Science Runaway Starship Ramps

This question is partially a spinoff of some points that came up in another recent question at Worldbuilding about interstellar space travel. Runaway Truck Ramps I live in Colorado, and on the do...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by ohwilleke‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by ohwilleke‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How close to interstellar space travel could humans get in the near future?

I had in mind a sci-fi setting where humans have begun terraforming nearby planets without the benefit of faster-than-light travel. For example, Wikipedia lists a handful of terrestrial planets wit...

8 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by TenthJustice‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by TenthJustice‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Can there be a space age without petroleum (crude oil)?

Crude Oil, is a term used to describe petroleum products harvested from geological formations beneath the Earth's surface. As a fuel they maybe called hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons can be found/creat...

10 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by James Jenkins‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by James Jenkins‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Is there an upward limit to the size of spacecraft with "Centrifugal" gravity?

I'm in the middle of creating a RPG one-shot for some friends, and I'm thinking of doing an Aliens meets Space Hulk style "Big-Gribbly Aliens VS Humans" game. Is there an upper limit to the size ...

5 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Miller86‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Miller86‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How to shield my spaceship against all that deadly radiation?

Spaceships are a peculiar thing. We've got them in all forms, sizes & colours. They are everywhere and go everywhere else. carrying with them anything from music, over tractors, to foodstuffs a...

7 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by dot_Sp0T‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by dot_Sp0T‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How could earth civilizations send 2000+ humans to Venus in six years?

Current Settings Humanity could no longer access earth for some reason (it could be anything from alien invasion, third world war, ecological disaster, etc) starting at 2028, and they know about t...

5 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Hendrik Lie‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Hendrik Lie‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Science-based FTL drive

So I'm writing a story about a crew of scientists that explore the universe searching for a hidden knowledge in embed in the fabric of the space itself. More like to the Destiny's crew from Stargat...

13 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Lucas Leite‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Lucas Leite‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A If a Mars Race occured, what are its technological implications on the average person?

I am working on an alternate history where the USSR won the Moon Race (by upgrading the NK-15, starting development of the N1 earlier, and making cybernetics/computer science not a "bourgeois pseud...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Future Historian‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Future Historian‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Spaceship design to avoid spreading of Protomolecule

Based on The Expanse TV series I wonder how people should build their ships to avoid spreading of highly contagious lifeform. Protomolecule's features: infectious agent with extra-terrestri...

5 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by light‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by light‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How long would it take to build a colonization ship?

I am creating a history for my galactic civilization, and was thinking that the first colonization ship might be launched around the year 2200. World War Three Just a few years from now, a third ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by ScienceKeanu‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by ScienceKeanu‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Can ice asteroids cause an icy ship

Question If a ship went through an asteroid belt where the asteroids are mostly ice, could the ice in any way transfer onto the ship and give it coatings of ice in various places, or would there b...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Pyromaniac Mariner‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Pyromaniac Mariner‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Would combining thermoelectric cells and electronic warfare reduce chances of a ship being detected?

In the science fiction setting I'm working on, I had a thought on how to reduce the detection ranges in space. On a previous question, I suggested the idea of capital ships and other support ships ...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Arvex‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Arvex‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Landing a spaceship

I was trying to think of a way to land a spaceship. The best I could think of was a ridiculously long airstrip for landing, and lots of catapults for takeoff, but then there was the problem of havi...

6 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by AmiralPatate‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by AmiralPatate‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Going slower in worlds where fuel is free or insignificantly cheap

Established rules for the universe: FTL travel exists with special drives, special artificial generated wormhole like tunnels where space ships can break the laws of physics. Engines runs hot, bu...

6 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Magic-Mouse‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Magic-Mouse‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Why are escape pods used instead of transporters whenever an alarm sounds to abandon the ship?

An interstellar spaceship carrying a thousand personnel was attacked by a group of space pirates while crossing the nebula. The nearest habitable planet is several light-hours away. Help will onl...

23 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by user6760‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Can this ship exist within our current laws of physics?

I'm an aspiring author, aiming to determine the physical realism of certain fictional concepts within a constructed universe identical to our own. There are many contingent ideas which I must expla...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by T.Citizen‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by T.Citizen‭

50%
+0 −0
Rigorous Science Could edible fish live in a large water tank used as a radiation shield on a spacecraft?

As a source of food, would it be possible to have fish and/or plants living inside a water tank situated between the fusion or fission power plant and the crew quarters of a ship? The ship in ques...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Smoj‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Smoj‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Could a large radio telescope survive interstellar spaceflight?

I recently came across Could pulsars really act as "lighthouses" to help in interstellar travel?, asked a week ago. The author was trying to figure out if pulsars could be useful for interstellar F...

6 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by HDE 226868‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by HDE 226868‭

50%
+0 −0
Rigorous Science How to fire your engines for a near-future trip around the solar system?

Background I was pondering my answer to this question. I asked myself, "Why would I only do a 45-minute burn and then float for 3 months to get to Mars?". Then I answered, "Because you only have ...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by kingledion‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by kingledion‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Lopsided artificial gravity

I'm trying to come up with a the most economical design for artificial gravity. The simplest design for a space ship is to have a spinning ring structure around a central body. People living in the...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Ebonair‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Ebonair‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Satellite salvaging: safely de-orbit and retrieve spacecraft or other objects

(This question is not about getting scrap metal out of orbit and recycling it: please see the second and third sections of the question text.) Consider an object which was not designed for, or ha...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Lok‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Lok‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How do I build my Space Fleet?

So, if Humanity wants to conquer the galaxy one star at a time, it is going to need a massive fleet. This fleet will require massive resources to build. If I want to build a fleet to take over the ...

4 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Tezra‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Tezra‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Powering the interplanetary trade ships of the 23rd-24th century

Let's just take antimatter off the table right now. As I've learned recently, it's hard to make, expensive as hell and even more volatile, and you can never get more energy out of it than you put i...

5 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Z.Schroeder‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Z.Schroeder‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Possibility of airless spaceships being used for manned space combat?

The setting I'm thinking of is in the not-so-distant future where humanity has become an interplanetary species using conventional propulsion. The solar system is largely colonized with human settl...

12 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Andrzej Jeziorski‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Andrzej Jeziorski‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Would a magnetic monopole rocket engine produce more energy than an ion engine?

Would a starship that was propelled by magnetic monopoles fly faster and longer than ion engines (assuming magnetic monopoles exist) of course.

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by user73829‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by user73829‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Getting to space without rockets or explosions?

Is there any way for a large civilization to get objects into space without using rockets or explosions? I'm considering a planet roughly equivalent to Earth, where (for whatever reason) rockets ...

6 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by sol0wingpixy‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by sol0wingpixy‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Synthesizing fuels with excess energy

Inspired by this question on putting massive capacitor-banks on spaceships I have been wondering about alternative ways to store excess energy from ever-running reactors. In this question I would ...

12 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by dot_Sp0T‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by dot_Sp0T‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How to Mimimize Air Loss in Space-Based Cities?

I've hit a wall in my tale of humans attempting to escape the Singularity or a fate worse than death by running off into the depths of space. And I only have myself and my accursed hard sci-fi lean...

7 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Serban Tanasa‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Serban Tanasa‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How do you check if a room behind a door aboard a spaceship has an atmosphere/pressure?

How do you check if a room behind a door aboard a spaceship has an atmosphere and pressure? This is so that you would not accidentally open a door to a room which is open to space. I imagine ther...

23 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by rluks‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by rluks‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Chemicals for a biorocket

A civilization is very good at bio-engineering, and I was wondering if there was any kind of chemical an organism could produce which would produce viable rocket fuel. It has to do a of couple of ...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by OneSurvivor‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by OneSurvivor‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Could a civilization go from the end of the stone age to the space age within a couple thousand years?

I was wondering if it is plausible for a civilization to go from the end of the stone age to the space age from 6,000 years to 10,000 years. I was thinking this planet's star was starting to die, a...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by OneSurvivor‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by OneSurvivor‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Can I overcome the bandwidth limitation on my photonic railways?

The Humern Empire is a vast, well established empire that spans the galaxy. Despite having no FTL travel they have kept their empire together with a series of subluminal transport methods. Heavy c...

8 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Joe Bloggs‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Joe Bloggs‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Fusion thrusters on a planet. Problems with temperature and radiation!

I'm really in doubt if a fusion thruster could be used inside a planet (populated places). As i saw in the TV show "The Expanse", their fusion engines are really, really hot, hotter than the surfac...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Felipe Andrade‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Felipe Andrade‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Would merfolk's spaceship need artificial gravity?

Imagine a spaceship constructed for merfolk and it is completely filled with oxygenated water instead of air. Since they can swim around effortlessly in the water, do they even need artificial gr...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by user6760‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Problems When Disguising A Spaceship As An Airplane?

Our Heroes are a small group of people around the level of the heroes of The Skylark Of Space. Operating on a budget of maybe ten million dollars, they've built a spacecraft with a mass somewhere a...

8 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by ikrase‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by ikrase‭

50%
+0 −0
Rigorous Science How to get rid of all the heat in my spaceship?

Spaceships are a peculiar thing. We've got them in all forms, sizes & colours. They run on nuclear fusion, creating loads of power driving all sorts of shenanigans... but they still generate lo...

5 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by dot_Sp0T‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by dot_Sp0T‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A High-speed shieldless spacecraft requirements

In my Sci-Fi universe, I want humans to, initially, have two traits to their spaceship building: Really good drive systems, at least compared to other races. Complete and utter lack of any sci-fi...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Andon‭  ·  last activity 6y ago by Andon‭