Leonov: Trans-Jovian Injection by TomPeters
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Description
The Alexei Leonov, not from the film 2010, but designed based on Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2010: Odyssey Two, and a bit of logical extrapolation of current s[ace technology, and Soviet design methodology.
In this image, Leonov has already broken orbit about Earth, and is beginning its long arcing flight path toward Jupiter. The Sacharov drive is thrusting at its full .1 g and the radiators are glowing dull red as they dissipate the waste heat. Radiators from the MHD powerplant are glowing slightly dimmer amidships. TheLeonov will pull away ever more quickly from the Earth-Moon system as the Liquid Hydrogen is expended in the 4 enormous boost tanks, which will be jettisoned when they are depleted.
Modeled and rendered in Lightwave 3D 8.5.
Thanks for taking a look!
-Tom
By the way, the image really benefits from the full-size view.
Comments (14)
theprojectionist
Superb,this would look great in Celestia Bravo
arcas
Smokin'! :)
geirla
Ooh, another nice job. The details are great: you've got earthglow on the moon, the red-hot radiators, the (ultra-, mostly) violet exhaust. Only question is: are the drop tanks where those thruster pods are? If so, wouldn't it be better to put them on the main body?
JOELGLAINE
Impressive scene. .1 gee? WOW. Loads of thrust for intra-system use. Much higher delta Vee than conventional ion thrusters. Another wonderful picture! Keep them coming!
TomPeters
Hey,geirla! Thanks for the compliments, and thoughtfully looking over the design. As will become apparent when those tanks separate, they represent over half the ship's mass on launch. The idea was to have big reaction control system units on the tanks to provide attitude control while the tanks were on, then a whole other set of jets, much smaller, that provide attitude control once the LH2 tanks are gone.
SIGMAWORLD
Excellent modeling and render!
duo
Wonderful spaceship design! Great interpretation of the Leonov russian spaceship!
Biffowitz
Fabulous artwork, I love the full size view!
Bambam131
Hey where's that atmosphere around the moon?, just kidding. This is another find example of a well though out ship design. The only thing that is missing is the ray gun.......;-) I always found it fascinating how so many picture we see of spaceships show them arm to the teeth with weapons. Your picture paints a very optimistic view of what the future holds for humankind and one that I support 100 percent. Too bad Obama killed the Constellation program. In the big picture it would cost less today to keep the program on track than say waiting 20 years down the road to restart the program. Just another example of not seeing past the end of your nose as to the benefits that this program will bring to everyone. Excellent work as always Tom! Cheers, David
Penters
Great modelling work and text too.
dbrv6
Excellent! Scene and narrative.
Keith
If you're considering realism, you wouldn't have radiators at 90 degrees to each other: they'd just be radiating heat into each other.
TomPeters
Thanks for all the thoughtful comments! Keith, from my research on the subject, a 90 degree angle is sufficient to keep the radiators from interfering with each other, with some more recent radiator technologies. I'll go and do some more homework, though. I'm making certain technology leap assumptions with this design (mostly the ones Arthur Clarke made in the book) like the Sacharov drive, and a workable, space capable MHD powerplant, and I suppose I could wave my hands and explain there's been some breakthrough with radiator tech, but I'm striving to keep this one firmly in the "plausible" category. -Tom
AlphaWolf007
You do lightwave very well sir!