Science Fiction Newsletter- Jan 2011

January 1, 2011

Editor: EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger






1. About this Newsletter
2. Letter from the Editor
3. Special Feature
4. Editor's Picks
5. Ask & Answer

Space Travel

Space Travel is one of the most popular and prevalent themes in science fiction. Countless stories have been written about travel to the Moon, Mars, and even to extra-solar destinations. And why not? Humans are curious by nature, and over thousands of years have succeeded in exploring almost every aspect of planet Earth. For the science-minded reader and writer, it is only natural to look beyond our own planet for new frontiers. Of course, short distance space travel is already possible; humans have lived and worked in orbit, and we've been to the Moon. And a manned visit to Mars is a real possibility in the relatively near future. From the dwindling Space Program to the fledgling Space Industry, there's no shortage of science, technology, and current research and development, on which to base our settings and plots. At best, this Newsletter can just scratch the surface of this huge topic. So please consider contributing to the discussion, via email or at the "Science Fiction Newsletter Forum" . But right now, please make sure your safety harness is properly secured for liftoff.

"Space isn't remote at all. It's only an hour's drive away if your car could go straight upwards." Sir Fred Hoyle

Where is Space?

Contrary to what we might think, there is no hard and sharp boundary between Earth and space. At very high altitudes, our atmosphere thins out very gradually. Even 200 miles above the Earth there are billions of molecules in every square inch of "space." Even at this level, the matter exerts significant friction and drag on spacecraft and satellites. But the U.S. Air Force considers a pilot an "astronaut" if he or she has flown higher than fifty miles. And 100 miles up, a satellite can maintain a stable orbit for several weeks. This gradual transition from atmosphere to space might be important in stories that take place in orbit, but most space travel tales occur much further away. You'll know when you get to space: it'll be vacuum, cold, have nearly zero gravity, and as we know from the first Alien movie, no one can hear you scream.

As writers, we must be sure to use well-established scientific principles in our near-Earth and solar system stories. We would expect the physics of our solar system, and maybe the whole universe, to be consistent with what is already scientifically understood. As our space travel stories get further and further away from home, and involve more exotic and speculative destinations, writers can flex creative muscles, bend space and time, and even alter reality itself. For interstellar flight, we have to extrapolate from today's knowledge and invent future technology. Longer trips give the writer the chance to utilize futuristic science and theoretical methods, such as solar sails and generational ships. And for those intergalactic vacations, perhaps we have to take advantage of wormholes, or inter-dimensional travel, or just bend space-time and get to Andromeda before dinner.

Using good science helps make our stories more plausible. To get into space, can't our characters just "beam up," or take a space elevator? Yes, if we want them to. But if we're faithful to known science, and assume that these trips will not be too far in the distant future, our characters will most likely need a rocket ship. Engineer your rockets with accurate technical details. Show your character's response to weightlessness and loneliness. Know about space and how inhospitable it is. Consider social aspects like cost, resources, industry and politics. Like space itself, the opportunities for science fiction writers are vast.

If you want realism in your stories, there may be no possibility of Faster-Than-Light (FTL) travel. But in the not-too-distant future, through genetic engineering and improved biological knowledge, perhaps we could extend the human lifespan to 300 years or more. That combined with cold sleep, generational ships and even 50% light speed, could allow us to spread across the stars. Sign me up!

This month's Special Feature will focus on how to get into space, and rocket selection, to help us get our characters to their destinations, wherever that may be. Future Newsletters may feature other aspects, such as living and working in space, space industries and space politics. Human society will probably have to write a whole new set of laws to govern our space faring colonies, and regulate our expansion into the cosmos.

"The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program. And if we become extinct because we don't have a space program, it'll serve us right!" Larry Niven

"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" Han Solo

How do I get there?

There are two main approaches to space travel: the burn and coast method, and the slow and steady method. Conventional rockets, as well as nuclear and other combustion engines, burn all their fuel at once in order to gain maximum acceleration, and then coast to the destination. This is helpful in lifting large payloads off the planet, and getting the craft pointed in the right direction. Then it's up to physics. Alternative engines, such as electrical rockets and other, more theoretical engines, would "burn" more slowly and produce thrust for long periods. Although acceleration is lower, great velocities could be achieved over long distances.

Here are some examples of different propulsion systems we can use in our stories:

Conventional Rockets – These burn propellant and then coast. Due to high acceleration, this method could be limited by the g-forces a human traveler could withstand. Since there is no oxygen in space, rocket engines must use propellant, which is a combination of both fuel and an oxidizer, such as liquid oxygen (LOX). Other usable but less practical oxidizers are fluorine, nitric acid and nitrogen peroxide. This could be important if your character's space ship blows up. After all, you don't want corrosive fluorine splattering everything in sight. It's not the same stuff that keeps us from getting cavities.

Nuclear Rockets – These have the advantage of heating lighter propellant gasses to higher temperatures than conventional rockets. A nuclear reactor would provide fission of hydrogen atoms, producing heat energy that powers the rocket. Concerns about radiation would require protecting the crew, and also limit the method to in-space flight only. We wouldn't want radioactive exhaust bathing the Earth!

Electrical Rockets – Very efficient rocket engines that use electrical energy to heat propellant gas are already in use. These utilize the "slow and steady" method of propulsion. Electrical rockets can burn for weeks or months. Although their thrust is low, the acceleration over long periods of time can create high velocities. Examples are ion and plasma thrusters; electrical energy heats and accelerates ionized gas directly. Electrical rockets are limited by the mass of the electrical power systems, but with advances in solar-electric technology, these engines will undoubtedly become more practical in the future.

Solar Sails – The solar wind (and light in general) produces pressure, which theoretically could be harnessed in massive sails to push a spacecraft. The pressure produced by light is small, so sails would have to be large, and acceleration would be slow. It would take years to travel short distances, making conventional rockets more practical for interplanetary travel. But over extremely large distances, great velocities could be obtained. To get to distant stars, this "slow and steady" method would win the race. Some propulsion scientists have proposed using high intensity lasers (in Earth orbit) to provide more light-push than the sun does.

Bussard Ramjet – This is a theoretical fusion rocket that would be capable of fast interstellar flight, and is a very common propulsion method used in science fiction. The device would use large electromagnetic fields as funnels or scoops to collect and compress hydrogen from the interstellar medium. High speed causes compression within a progressively constricted magnetic field, until thermonuclear fusion occurs. In Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's classic novel, Footfall, alien invaders used this type of propulsion to bring their generational ship to our planet. Before the aliens' arrival, the protagonist humans noticed that the ship discarded its ramjet near our sun. This suggested that the aliens had no intention of returning home. That can't be a good sign.

Theoretical propulsion systems – Many futuristic methods of propulsion have been used in science fiction. In Star Trek, warp drive is used to attain FTL travel. The warp drive contracts space-time in front of the vessel and expands it behind. The ship itself rests in a "warp bubble" between the two distortions, and the vessel surfs the space-time wave thus created. Other exotic methods used in science fiction for FTL travel include traversing wormholes, bending or folding space-time, or even leaving our three dimensions completely while traversing a fourth or even higher dimension, and then popping back into normal space at the destination. Science fiction stories have called these dimensions hyperspace, subspace, slipspace, zero-space, and more.

Do you know of other ways to accomplish space travel, or have comments on the methods described here? Post your thoughts or join the discussion at the "Science Fiction Newsletter Forum" !

"The Earth is the cradle of mankind, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever."" Konstantin Edvardovich Tsiolkovskii, the "Father of Astronautics"

The Space Travel theme of this Newsletter is well represented by this month's Picks. Enjoy!

ID: 1703132   (Rated: E) How Far Away Are Stars?  Stars are incredible distances away from Earth. by D. R. Prescott

ID: 579367   (Rated: E) The Light of Distant Stars  Sometimes you have to choose... by Shaara

ID: 1694170   (Rated: E) The Used Transport Salesman  When space travel becomes common, sombody has to sell the used star ships. by Glenn Card

ID: 1707199   (Rated: 18+) Nowhere to Go But Mars  Revised - Hibernation had its pluses and minuses, Mars or Bust... by Mage

ID: 1147277   (Rated: 13+) Through Space and Time  Dream the improbable until it becomes possible ~ for Daily Flash Fiction Challenge by Kate~Rune Writing & Reading

ID: 1450316   (Rated: E) One Way Ticket  Faster than light travel is achieved! Written for 55 word contest by Hyperiongate

ID: 1272406   (Rated: 13+) The Bob  In a case of mistaken identity, Bob tries to save the Known Universe. by W.D.Wilcox © ¿ Φ

ID: 1633283   (Rated: E) Journey Into Nothing, Revised  A spacecraft unable to escape a black hole, makes a power dive into it, and survives by Light

ID: 1681613   (Rated: ASR) Solar Sailing: A Reality  Short journalistic piece regarding the Japanese space device 'Ikaros' and it's methods. by Free_Rip

Space Travel Poetry:

ID: 820802   (Rated: 13+) Bound for Andromeda & Sleepin’ In  I don't want to spend my time sleeping; soon there'll be plenty of time for that. by Shaara

ID: 1712791   (Rated: ASR) Generational Ship  A trip to save humanity, five syllables at a time by EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger

ID: 893692   (Rated: E) "FLIGHT"  I Traveled to the outer limits of space alone by Kings

Last month's Newsletter topic was Speculative Fiction and Dystopias

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LJPC - the tortoise : "I really enjoyed the newsletter about speculative fiction and dystopias. Spec fic covers a wide variety of genres and I love all of them! Yay, genre writers! Special thanks to Elisa, Stik 15K for an in-depth look at dystopia. Despite the fact that some publishers say the trend is dying down, I think there will always be a place for imaginative dystopian SF novels because they speak to the rebel in all of us."

Glenn Card : "First, I have to say I am always looking forward to the "Science Fiction Newsletter" hitting my email. I subscribe to many but none are anticipated as much as this one. I can truly appreciate the subject that you raise with this edition. I was floored to see one of my pieces included as an example of the subject matter at hand. Thanks for that. I prefer to think of myself as science fiction minded, but my recent writings clearly fall into the "whatever that is" category. Keep up the great work."

November's Newsletter topic was Technology in Science Fiction

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Steve Ellen posted a very interesting comment: "This touches on the old debate between "hard" sci-fi and "soft" sci-fi. Some readers prefer any invented technology to be scientifically plausible, while others are content with the most fantastical technology. It also touches on the old magic vs science debate. If you merely "turn the lights on" then how do we know you aren't a magician? But if you "throw a switch allowing electrical current to heat a thin filament of tungsten enclosed in a sealed bulb of glass"... why then we can be sure that you did it scientifically."

There has been a great discussion on the "Science Fiction Newsletter Forum"  regarding the question posed in the September Newsletter, What do you think visiting Aliens would think of us?.