Text 9328, 79 rader
Skriven 2006-10-14 01:41:27 av MJB
Ärende: Re: News from the Epsilon Eridani system
================================================
From: MJB <q_woody@hotmail.com>

"Soundy" <soundy106@gmail.com> wrote in news:1160752645.686036.253300
@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> 
> Doug Freyburger wrote:
>> Soundy wrote:
>> > Doug Freyburger wrote:
>> >
>> > > But the bizzare mapping is not a problem for ships able to
>> > > make their own jump points - All they need do is transfer
>> > > from hyperspace to normal space, use their telescopes to
>> > > map the brighter stars in the sky, get their location in the
>> > > galaxy, and return to hyperspace knowing where they are.
>> > > It's also the task of explorer ships to do exactly that
>> > > repeatedly and leave stationed in hyperspace new navigational
>> > > beacons.
>> >
>> > That doesn't fly... if it's that easy, why was the Cortez (an
>> > Explorer-class ship) so concerned about getting lost in hyperspace 
("A
>> > Distant Star")?
>>
>> The geometry and eddies in hyperspace can mean 10 LY is a
>> month away or 10,000 LY is an hour away.  Drop out of hyperspace
>> a quarter of a galaxy away from a previously mapped point and
>> locating your position using a telescope might be a routine task,
>> but it could be one that takes a couple of years to locate yourself.
>>
>> There's also the problem of "Oh crap, I can see the entire galaxy
>> from here.  Now what direction to head once we get back into
>> hyperspace to head back home?"  Especially knowing that the
>> geometry isn't linear so "go back the way you came" is often
>> as ineffective as the method used to explore in the first place.
> 
> I was going to say you're contradicting yourself, but you're not even
> making enough sense for that.
> 
> Go re-read your original paragraph quoted about.  You're saying 
getting
> lost in hyperspace ISN'T A PROBLEM for any ships able to create their
> own jump-points, ESPECIALLY Explorer-class ships.
> 
> Yet getting lost in hyperspace is THE major problem for the Cortez in
> "A Distant Star".
> 
> Then you state that the problem is that they could end up too far from
> anywhere in normal space... yet you've already noted that that's
> exactly what Explorer-class ships are designed to do.
> 
> Yer talkin' out yer arse here, pal.  Give it up.

Well, let's follow this a bit further and see how good my memory is....

The ship sent a distress signal -- so we know it's damaged.
So, assume it's drifting in hyperspace (it was) and it can't jump 
because it's damaged.  

So, getting lost in hyperspace is a real problem even for an explorer 
class ship, if it's damaged and can't jump back into normal space.

So, it could be that easy for an explorer class ship to jump in & out of 
hyperspace trying to get it's bearings (though without beacons to help 
in hyperspace, even mapping it's place in regular space might not be 
much help once they jump back into hyper -- so the premise above may 
still be flawed -- I'm no expert in navigating hyperspace, sorry).

But, the problem in this episode is that a damaged explorer class ship 
could get lost in hyperspace -- and you can't just send ships in there 
looking once they go too far off the beacons -- because where would you 
look?  The Cortez was lucky that it was still in range for a signal to 
help.




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