Comments on: James S A Corey https://habitablezone.com/2014/09/23/james-s-a-corey/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:15:13 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2014/09/23/james-s-a-corey/#comment-31888 ER Wed, 24 Sep 2014 03:49:40 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=47505#comment-31888 If your propulsion system is anything like a rocket, with high acceleration, and if saving weight is a consideration, you build it like a building, with the longitudinal axis in the same direction as the gravity (or acceleration) vector. Each deck (floor) has to be only just strong (and massive)enough to support the weight of the mass above (or forward) of it. The engine goes at the back, and the crew quarters are as far away as possible to isolate the crew from any radiation given off by the engine. Radiation shielding can be made just big enough so the crew compartment is in its shadow. Cargo, fuel and structural elements go in between to provide additional radiation shielding for the crew. Think of the ship in "2001". You also make it as skinny as you can to reduce the moment of inertia (lever arm) orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of external structures so that most of the stress of supporting them against acceleration is provided by the structure below. No heavy struts cantilevering out into space. Everything is close to the hull and supported by the hull frames, or by a long open truss running down the length of the ship. It winds up tall, skinny, with the engine at one end and crew compartment at the other. Of course, if you postulate a different kind of propulsion, say solar sails or some kind of inertialess drive, you may be free to go with some other architecture. If your propulsion system is anything like a rocket, with high acceleration, and if saving weight is a consideration, you build it like a building, with the longitudinal axis in the same direction as the gravity (or acceleration) vector. Each deck (floor) has to be only just strong (and massive)enough to support the weight of the mass above (or forward) of it. The engine goes at the back, and the crew quarters are as far away as possible to isolate the crew from any radiation given off by the engine. Radiation shielding can be made just big enough so the crew compartment is in its shadow. Cargo, fuel and structural elements go in between to provide additional radiation shielding for the crew. Think of the ship in “2001″.

You also make it as skinny as you can to reduce the moment of inertia (lever arm) orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of external structures so that most of the stress of supporting them against acceleration is provided by the structure below. No heavy struts cantilevering out into space. Everything is close to the hull and supported by the hull frames, or by a long open truss running down the length of the ship. It winds up tall, skinny, with the engine at one end and crew compartment at the other.

Of course, if you postulate a different kind of propulsion, say solar sails or some kind of inertialess drive, you may be free to go with some other architecture.

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