When
I was little I wanted to be an astronaut. I was fascinated by space and
anything having to do with it. As I got older I realized that probably wasn’t
going to be a viable career path for me. First, because I have horrible eye
sight and second, because I hate running—seriously there better be something
chasing me otherwise I’m not running. But one thing I maintained through the
years was a distinct love for math and science. After many years thinking I
wanted to be a vet, I decided that wasn’t the right career path for me. But
when my mom suggested engineering I thought, sure, why not? The only problem was I had no
idea what engineers did.
After
a few programs and a course in freshman engineering, I realized I could marry
my love of math and science with my love of space and get a degree in aerospace
engineering (plus getting to tell people I’m a literal rocket scientist is
pretty cool). And it was in senior design class in college that I got one of
the hardest but most interesting problems in aerospace—designing a spacecraft
that could take a crew from Earth to Mars and land on the planet. Since it’s a
three year trip, one of the requirements was that the ship had simulated
gravity.
As
discussed in my Misconceptions of Space article in PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION, creating artificial gravity is not an easy task. In space, rotation is
required to generate enough inertial force to push an object against a surface
thus giving the object the appearance of experiencing gravity. There’s a
delicate balance when it comes to spinning spacecraft. It takes fuel and engines firing in
the right directions to create a spin in space. The other option is to get
another object to knock you into a spin, but that’s much harder to control. But
getting into the spin isn’t the most difficult part. It’s getting the spin at
the right speed and direction. If it’s too fast, people are forced against the
walls and can’t move, plus you risk making them sick, (think about how hard it
is to move on a spinning carnival ride like a teacup or sizzler). If you spin
too slow, then you don’t have enough force to keep people on the surface.
Then people experience some lesser amount of gravity than they are used to, and
would bounce like astronauts on the moon.
There
are a couple of factors that affect the gravity—one is mass, the other is
radius. The mass of the object in motion and how far it’s located from the
center of rotation can both affect the amount of gravity the object
experiences. Two objects of the same mass at different locations from the center rotation in the
same spacecraft will experience different amounts of gravity.
All
in all simulating gravity in space is tricky business. This in turn presents
some interesting what if questions that should get any writer’s brain buzzing.
If
you were an architect of long distance space mission, which way would you simulate
gravity? Would it compliment your crew’s mission in some way?
And
once you have artificial gravity, what things could go wrong that would cause
the spacecraft to lose it?
Now
your spacecraft is in the middle of nowhere in the galaxy and your crew is
bouncing off the walls (literally)… How do they restore gravity before everything
that isn’t tied down hurts someone? And if this goes on long enough how do they
prevent their muscles from atrophying?
What
supplies do you need to fix the problem? Are they near or far? What comes next?
Now
go forth and write that story. I bet it’s an interesting one.
And don't forget to check out PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION debuting 10-16-18!
Science and technology have starring roles in a wide range of genres--science fiction, fantasy, thriller, mystery, and more. Unfortunately, many depictions of technical subjects in literature, film, and television are pure fiction. A basic understanding of biology, physics, engineering, and medicine will help you create more realistic stories that satisfy discerning readers. This book brings together scientists, physicians, engineers, and other experts to help you:
Enter to win a copy of Putting the Science in Fiction. It's full of awesome articles written by experts in science and engineering. It's bound to get any creative brain going with all kinds of new story ideas and equip any writer with the knowledge to get it right in their stories.
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And don't forget to check out PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION debuting 10-16-18!
Science and technology have starring roles in a wide range of genres--science fiction, fantasy, thriller, mystery, and more. Unfortunately, many depictions of technical subjects in literature, film, and television are pure fiction. A basic understanding of biology, physics, engineering, and medicine will help you create more realistic stories that satisfy discerning readers. This book brings together scientists, physicians, engineers, and other experts to help you:
- Understand the basic principles of science, technology, and medicine that are
frequently featured in fiction. - Avoid common pitfalls and misconceptions to ensure technical accuracy.
- Write realistic and compelling scientific elements that will captivate readers.
- Brainstorm and develop new science- and technology-based story ideas.
- Whether writing about mutant monsters, rogue viruses, giant spaceships, or even murders and espionage, Putting the Science in Fiction will have something to help every writer craft better fiction.
Enter to win a copy of Putting the Science in Fiction. It's full of awesome articles written by experts in science and engineering. It's bound to get any creative brain going with all kinds of new story ideas and equip any writer with the knowledge to get it right in their stories.
