1. Venom.

    Venom. Active Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2011
    Messages:
    115
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Bing bong, pow!

    Space travel and spaceship research?

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Venom., Jul 28, 2013.

    Where can I find some good books that can help me with the technical aspects of spacecraft? I'm looking for many links.
     
  2. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2013
    Messages:
    18,385
    Likes Received:
    7,080
    Location:
    Ralph's side of the island.
    You don't need books, Google's better. I'll share some links tomorrow from my files with you.
     
  3. Venom.

    Venom. Active Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2011
    Messages:
    115
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Bing bong, pow!
    Ah. Oh, okay. Thankyou. :)
     
  4. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2013
    Messages:
    18,385
    Likes Received:
    7,080
    Location:
    Ralph's side of the island.
  5. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 1, 2008
    Messages:
    23,826
    Likes Received:
    20,815
    Location:
    El Tembloroso Caribe
    And there's also this: Project Hyperion

    The book I am currently reading, The Sparrow, makes use of this kind of asteroid ship and in Larry Niven's Protector, the Pak Protector also makes use of this type.
     
  6. BMacKay40

    BMacKay40 New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2013
    Messages:
    31
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    USA/ Southeast
    Don't know if you have on-demand or not, but "Through the Wormhole" with Morgan Freeman has a lot of good shows where it talks about the technology of space travel. One guy said he could make an artificial Black Hole and contain it in some kind of contraption. The gravitational force of the black hole could propel a spaceship carrying a million people the speed of light.
     
  7. Porcupine

    Porcupine Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2011
    Messages:
    346
    Likes Received:
    21
    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    Can you provide more background on what you're actually looking for? There's plenty of information on spacecraft about, but a spacecraft designed in the 1960s differs somewhat from a spacecraft designed in the 2010s and if you're looking at the year 2100 or so, things will be considerably different once again. Are you looking at manned/unmanned spacecraft?
     
  8. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    I have several books on writing hard sci-fi (even though I don't write it myself, I do read it a lot.) You might want to check out "Space Travel: A writer's guide to the science of interplanetary and interstellar travel" by Ben Bova with Anthony R Lewis. It was published in 1997 as part of the Science Fiction Writing Series produced by Writer's Digest Books.

    Two chapters are of particular interest to this OP's thread: Rockets, and Advanced Spacecraft. These two chapters deal specifically with:

    Chemical Rockets
    Cryogenics
    Thrust and Specific Impulse
    Nuclear Rockets
    Burn, then Coast
    Electrical Rockets
    Plasma: the fourth state of matter
    Solar Sails
    Match the Rocket to the Job
    Mass Ratio
    Rockets for a Mars Mission
    Missiles and Launch Centers
    Reusable Launch Vehicles
    Skyhook
    Mass Drivers
    Laser Propulsion
    The MHD Torch Ship
    Storm Cellars
    Imagination and Knowledge

    There is also a separate chapter on "Starships" which deals (in detail) with building spacecraft that will voyage beyond the Solar System; types of propulsion; keeping passengers alive, etc.

    I don't know if the construction and knowledge about technical aspects of spacecraft has moved on a lot since 1997 (I suspect not!) but even so, this book is chock-a-block with ideas and technical know-how, couched in terms that a writer without an extensive background in physics and 'rocket science' can understand. Highly recommend this book. Even if it's just to read it. It's a great read, by a prolific and well-respected writer of Sci-Fi.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice