Consortium Moons Battleship Diagram by wblack

Bryce • Science Fiction • posted on Jun 25, 2010

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Description

The Endurance Class Battleship, which is of respectable size (1/4 mile in length), does not approach the theoretical limits of Orion drive technology. Freeman Dyson envisioned an Interstellar Arc version which weighed in at 8 million tons and called for a pusher plate with a diameter of 400 meters. [For reference: 400 meters in diameter means that the area (footprint) is about 30 football fields. 4 football fields long by 8 football fields wide. This extreme design could be built with materials and techniques that could be obtained in 1958 or were anticipated to be available shortly after. The practical upper limit is likely to be higher with modern materials. For purpose of comparison you can find images of other (real) Orion powered space craft proposals here: http://www.up-ship.com/eAPR/ev2n2.htm The Endurance Class design owes its inspiration to the Orion powered Battleship Michael from Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelles novel Footfall. The design can be seen here: http://www.up-ship.com/apr/michael.htm

Comments (23)

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Madbat

1:00AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

I've read about those at several nasa offshoot sites, They were to be powered by thermonuclear explosions, hence the pusher plate which also acted as shielding.

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JOELGLAINE

1:02AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

Pretty nice design. I'd like to see a 3/4 head on and a 3/4 tail view of it, but it's nice as is. Seems like it's plenty armed! WOW, that is a lot of fire power! Very cool stuff. Great work. I'd say you scored with this one!

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DarkStormCrow

1:10AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

Excellent work and render, well done...

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wblack

1:19AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

Yes, NASA keeps an on-going technological study going, now under the name External Pulsed Plasma Emission Rockets. Actually the drive-bomb design provided most of the radiation shielding. The nuclear device is encased in a shell of x-ray opaque material (uranium) with a hole in the top. This serves to contain most of the neutrons emitted, forcing these, along with most of the x-ray output, to exit from the hole. Here they run full tilt into a large mass of beryllium oxide. The beryllium transforms the nuclear fury of x-rays (absorbing more of the neutron output) into heat. Perched on top of the beryllium is the propellant: a thick plate of tungsten -- also x-ray opaque, this absorbs about 85 percent of the bombs output transforming into (an x-ray opaque) star-core hot spindle shaped plume of tungsten plasma. The x-ray opaque material and the beryllium oxide also vaporize a few microseconds later, as the tungsten plasma jet hits the Orion drive pusher plate. So in effect the bomb forges its own shielding which exists just long enough to absorb and contain most of the high-energy output of the bomb -- pretty neat, actually. The technology forms the bases for all space craft in my Orion's Arm (hence the name) future history -- these are advanced hybrid Orion thermonuclear/nuclear thermal rockets. If you are interssted in the technology check out:http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/index.html

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rj001

2:03AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

great model

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Lenord

7:39AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

William these Technical Diagrams you've been posting lately are just kick azz. I've been an Elect Engeering Tech for close to 35 years and never seen better Presented and Detailed System Diagrams, quite impressive. Peace

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thecytron

8:25AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

Most Xcellent detailed technical diagram!

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wblack

8:32AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

Thanks Lenord! Man I think it's excellent that so many are enjoying these -- part of my pay-off is knowing that some find the technical possibilities interesting enough to follow up and learn more about these technologies - this is how we will keep the dream of human space conquest alive until political tides change and sanity returns to Washington.

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peedy

8:43AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

Excellent modeling~. Corrie

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texboy

11:00AM | Fri, 25 June 2010

far out! it looks like you've put a boatload of work and thought into these vessels, and how cool that they're firmly rooted in reality.... no warp drive for us! good work, bud!!

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