Text 9330, 93 rader
Skriven 2006-10-13 11:57:47 av Soundy
Ärende: Re: News from the Epsilon Eridani system
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From: "Soundy" <soundy106@gmail.com>


MJB wrote:
> "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.

Right, granted their jump engines are probably inoperable.  One would
also expect on a ship like that, they'd probably be able to fix them
given enough time (this thing is half the size of B5; if B5 is a "city
in space", an Explorer ship is at least a small town).

So if it WERE as simple as just popping out into normal space to get a
location fix, as Doug postulates, this shouldn't be a problem - the
ship is designed to be out on its own for YEARS at a stretch, so they'd
have lots of time to make repairs, pop out into normal space
eventually, figure out where they are, and get home.

> 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 as Charlie pointed out, "It ain't that simple"... which is WHY they
were so worried about being lost in hyperspace.  Even WITH working jump
engines, they wouldn't necessarily be able to simply jump out into
normal space at a whim - if hyperspace is all that folded and wrinkled,
one might expect they could actually jump into ANOTHER area of
hyperspace... and could probably keep on doing so indefinitely without
ever fluking upon a transition to normal space... they'd probably have
a better chance of wandering within range of another beacon.


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