 June 16, 2014 - 10:39am | Artist impression of NASA first warp drive ship... http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/13/5806104/nasas-warp-drive-spaceship-concept-enterprise |
June 16, 2014 - 10:53am | Required -- larger solar panels and heat radiators. But it looks neat... |
 June 16, 2014 - 11:54am | Kind of cool. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 16, 2014 - 3:34pm | NASA announces working on FTL warp drive that could get us to our nearest neighbor in 2 weeks and that's the best you all can muster? Here's the proper reaction: Holy f*'n s**t that's awesome! And if you haven't noticed the orientation of the ship. It's horizontal. It's built in space, but its horizontal. Do they have plans to incorporate the repulsion field technology overhead for simulated gravity? Star Trek around the corner. Also, consider this, the larger the ship, the faster it can go because it can create a greater warp. Did I just hear Han Solo? ("I've outrun Imperial Cruisers. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you, but the big Corillian ships. She'll get you there, old man.") Question, though. How do both of these things affect Star Frontiers? View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
June 16, 2014 - 4:32pm | I think this is a publicity stunt- whats the cost of concept art? they announce work on a warp drive 2 years ago and have nothing to show for it so to keep up appearances and public expectation they release a concept art. The artist also stated that he took inspiration from Star Trek and classic sci fi so the Star Trek vibe is to be expected. To me this is just to stroke the geek ego of Star Trek fans which NASA has wisely done in the past- the test shuttle being named Enterprise. So when it gets to be more than concept and theory I'll say freaking awesome but until them- its just cool. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 16, 2014 - 5:16pm | I get what you're saying, but it is a little more than smoke. The latest mock-up is based on current rough design specs. They have the math and they have the plan. The issues are design and financing. NASA will be outsourcing to the new space-travel companies, so they will be able to get more for their dollar. I have no doubt that if warp drive can be done, NASA will do it, especially since they have the guy that did the math to begin with heading up the project. You can be sure he wants to bring this thing to bear before he dies. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 June 16, 2014 - 8:47pm | Yeah, and optimistic estimates say it needs something on the order of 350kg of antimatter to make one trip. And at current production rates, the cost of that much antimatter (never mind containing it) costs something like the entire gross domestic product of the entire planet for 40 years.  Anyway, it will be interesting to see how this develops but don't hold your breath.Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
 June 16, 2014 - 11:30pm | It is a nice design and all, but I get the impression, that more is needed to make it viable for a long journey. For one thing, it really needs a centrifuge of some sort — gravity kills, but a lack of it is really bad for your health! I cant wait for someone to figure out ways to deal with the issues of the Alcubierre drive; more notably, the build-up of Hawkins radiation. If this is not addressed, the trip would only end in tragedy. |
June 17, 2014 - 7:43am | I thought the power requirements were extremely high. I'm still amazed that we are even at the point where warp is theoretically possible at all. I recall a few years (decades?) ago when we were talking excitedly about fusion powered space craft that could make the Mars run in weeks. That was cool then. Of course, still waiting for that Mr. Fusion... |
June 17, 2014 - 2:23pm | @ sam: talk is cheap and NASA likes to release concept art- which is far cheaper than building the actual craft but gets people thinking and talking about space which is not that bad a thing. Not sure if I'm cynical or simply realistic about that. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 17, 2014 - 2:36pm | I still think we are far off. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
June 18, 2014 - 7:18pm | I know it is. I am still waiting to hear that we successfully deployed SDI. Interesting tangent, though, is that if you consider science fiction (or science hopefullness) of past decades, where we thought up Strategic Defense Initiative, fusion powered spacecraft, and a boatload of other space ship/space based ideas -- we totally underestimated computing power and advances and completely overestimated our material sciences and mastery of physics. Perhaps, one could speculate, that as US manufacturing (which increased and spread out our practical knowledge of engineering among a larger percentage of the population) depleted, so too did the pool of talented individuals who could make the leaps in knowledge that would allow us to achieve some of those dreams. However, since we started much of the computer industry (and kept much of it through various economic means) we've been able to continue the march forward in that area. Not that we don't have talented individuals, but the pool of talent is much smaller than it may have been otherwise. Just a random thought... |
June 18, 2014 - 9:49pm | I agree with you, there has been a move away from hard sciences, practical application and a stigma put on people who do not go through the current College system.. (Many fields are now top heavy in degrees that do not seem to be equaling better results). Blue collar jobs are seen as easily replaced skills and knowledge, but not so, especially in speciality manufacturing or fields. Meanwhile all the touchy feel arts & sciences have been heavily promoted and "progress" is a bad word. We are not suppose to achieve anymore as that means we are oppressing others or killing pandas. We are teaching our children they can't, instead of they can. Also I think there maybe a war on manufacturing as evil, dangerous, or just an ugly eye soar in America. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 June 18, 2014 - 10:55pm | My entire career as an electrical engineer has been symbiotic with manufacturing and what Sam notices is true. All the engineers see the brain drain going on from loosing domestic manufacturing. Young engineers are having a hard time learning that ideas don't equal reality. They don't have the experience of making what they dream up and are shocked when the factories can't build their designs. I had one engineer bragging to me about how he had designed a mechanical part that was so high tech that only one machine shop in the country could build it, that it cost $5,000 a piece, and that only 1 in 5 built were actually right because the tollerances were so advanced (tight). What I saw was an inexperienced engineer that needed to spen some time of his own learning how to machine his own parts to learn. I have seen many older guys tackle his problem and do a better job with run of the mill processes and materials. This loss of manufactuing know how has been building for decades and it is financially driven, "greed". We have discussed this for years and the only solution we see is automation and robotics. The key element at play is labor rates and anything that can be automated can be, and experience shows is, kept close to the designers and engineers like traditional manufacturing was. Another interesting effect that may be starting is that long held sources of cheap labor are starting to loose their cost advantage as the wages are increasing due to equalization of standards of living. This in the long term may bring manufacturing back close to the engineers and regrow the knowledge. -iggy |
June 19, 2014 - 7:49am | Yes, exactly iggy! I deal with the results of great idea types allot, they pride themselves on coming up with stuff that just can't work. I am convinced of it. I on the other hand have to deal with the faulty engineering that will never work right, the great idea that was really a bonehead idea. Oh to make some of these guys use the things they design for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, in all temperatures and conditions. I really want them to explain what sort of human being they designed the thing for, as it clearly is an 8 armed, 6 foot long limbed creature! I want them to fall down the variously designed stairs that are all different shapes and set at angles, I want them to get a soar knee because they moved the seat left but moved the pedals right, I want them to explain the lack of heat shielding next to their right leg (we duck tape heat shielding on 'cause no one likes melted clothes on flesh), why the sensors are designed in such away to break daily, and so on... oh yes I would like to drag a few of these pups out by their ears to their awesome ideas and make them operate them. One problem that is occurring in manufacturing here in the USA is a disconnect between the software kids and the hardware kids coming out of college. One of my friends had a guaranteed job before finishing his degree because he demonstrated he knew the limitations of the robots versus what the software can do at some conference and literally was hired on the floor. Apparently the programers have no idea that their reprogramming of the factory bots break them! Yep, no idea of the limitations of the machines, because they just learn code, and get their degree for done & conversely most hardware folks don't know a darn thing about programming, my friend decided to take software classes on top of his engineering degree so he could program his own bot designs. The guy who hired him is beyond frustrated with what the colleges are pumping out, as the noobs with degrees keep breaking the equipment and then refuse to learn anything about either the bots or software depending on degree. Huge egos but no experience and no willingness to learn anything outside of their box. Also the folks with egos and no experience or limited experience in other areas I have noted tend to be rude and dismissive of people trying to tell them important things, like if you mix those certain chemicals bad things will happen, or no that will not work because the material you want to use is too weak, or has a flaw in it. I have learned to ask the question "What are you doing?" So I know if I need to get to away to a safe distance or not.  "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
