Just some test renderings of my updated ‘Lying Bastard’ model, based on Larry Niven’s “Ringworld” novels. The model is a work-in-progress, to be used in a later video, but still needs a lot of work…Enjoy!
All models and animation are by me, except for the following:
(1) Nessus The Puppeteer (Alien figure) which is (CC-BY) from John C. Atkeson, hosted at:
Here’s a little introduction to the Kalpana One space settlement, followed by a rotation and fly-past.
Kalpana One is a modern space-settlement design conceived in the mid-2000’s by Al Globus, Nitin Arora, Ankur Bajoria and Joe Strout.
Kalpana was named in honour of Dr Kalpana Chawla, India’s first female astronaut and one of the seven crew members who perished in the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy.
Kalpana refines and improves upon earlier designs from the 1970’s, especially in the areas of rotational stability and thermal management.
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Source
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My source was the 2007 paper “The Kalpana One Orbital Space Settlement Revised”.
If you have questions, you may want to have a look at the paper.Here’s a link to a PDF:
A fusion powered vehicle for piloted exploration of the outer solar system.
This visualisation is based on information found in the NASA publication
(doc id 20050160960) titled:
“Realizing ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’: Piloted Spherical Torus Nuclear Fusion Propulsion”
Author(s) and Affiliation:
Williams, Craig H. (NASA Glenn Research Center)
Dudzinski, Leonard A.(NASA Glenn Research Center)
Borowski, Stanley K. (NASA Glenn Research Center)
Juhasz, Albert J. (NASA Glenn Research Center)
PDF available here:
naca.larc.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20050160960
Abstract:
A conceptual vehicle design enabling fast, piloted outer solar system travel was created predicated on a small aspect ratio spherical torus nuclear fusion reactor. The initial requirements were satisfied by the vehicle concept, which could deliver a 172 mt crew payload from Earth to Jupiter rendezvous in 118 days, with an initial mass in low Earth orbit of 1,690 mt.
Engineering conceptual design, analysis, and assessment was performed on all major systems including artificial gravity payload, central truss, nuclear fusion reactor, power conversion, magnetic nozzle, fast wave plasma heating, tankage, fuel pellet injector, startup/re-start fission reactor and battery bank, refrigeration, reaction control, communications, mission design, and space operations.
Original animations and renderings depicting concepts from classic Science-Fiction, Space-Settlements and Space Exploration.
(Music: “Pedro Versus the World” by Jingle Punks)
Based on the concept vehicle designs presented by the NASA RASC (Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts) team in 2003.
A somewhat dated design from the early 2000’s – perhaps not as “sexy” as the Nautilus-X MMSEV which was conceived nearly a decade later, but still well worth a look in my opinion!
Sources were the following publications by Pat Troutman and Kristen Bethke, et al:
Unfortunately, there’s not much info available online for this one, so I had to fill in the gaps as best I could…I’m bound to have screwed-up some of the details, but oh well…Cunningham’s Law rules!
by Stanley K. Borowski, David R. McCurdy and Thomas W. Packard
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
Quote from the document…
As mentioned in the Introduction, the motivation for selecting NTP as the propulsion system of choice for Mars is simple – it is a proven technology with a specific impulse that is twice that of today’s best chemical rockets.
During the Rover / NERVA programs 1955-1972, a technology readiness level TRL~5-6 was achieved.
Twenty rocket reactors were designed, built and ground tested in integrated reactor/engine tests that demonstrated:
1. A wide range of thrust levels ~25, 50, 75 and 250 klb
2. High temperature carbide-based nuclear fuels that provided hydrogen exhaust temperatures up to 2550 K achieved in Pewee
3. Sustained engine operation – over 62 minutes for a single burn achieved in the NRX-A6, as well as…
4. Accumulated lifetime at full-power, and…
5. Restart capability greater than 2 hours, with 28 startup and shutdown cycles achieved in the NRX-XE experimental engine
…all the requirements needed for a human Mars mission.
