Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 30, 2014 in
Science 
Having to carry a ton of heavy fuel is one of the big problems with developing faster spacecraft. But what if that number could be made trivial? NASA has tested the “Cannae Drive,” an engine that doesn’t use propellant, based on the EMDrive, a drive which works by bouncing microwaves in an enclosed container to create thrust. The drive has little critical attention, which many pointing out how such an engine would violate the laws of physics, specifically conservation of motion. So far, China has tested their version of the EMDrive, but it was not well-reported due to skeptics. But now the US has succeeded as well.
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Tags: NASA, spaceships
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 13, 2014 in
Science,
Tech 
While probes have played around comets before, none have ever landed on a comet — until now. The European Space Agency is finally seeing the payoff for a mission they started way back in March 2004, when they launched the unmanned Rosetta spacecraft and its lander Philae. While the Rosetta met up with the comet back in July, it took weeks to fly around the comet and determine a safe place to land. Operations were complicated by the Rosetta having to travel over 6 billion kilometers to meet up with the comet’s path; at that distance, even light-speed transmissions take almost half an hour to reach Earth, so any control had to be calculated and input well ahead of landing. Despite some bumps (including the securing harpoons not firing, resulting in a bounce and a second landing), it seems Philae is running smoothly now and will be collecting data through about March 2015, when it builds up too much heat. The Rosetta will at least operate through December 2015, but could go longer if the fuel holds out. Congratulations, ESA! Now get some cool data! Read more…
Tags: Space, Space Exploration, spaceships
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2013 in
Hobbies and Collections 
I’ve seen starship comparisons before, but nothing quite this comprehensive: DeviantArt user DirkLoechel put together an absolutely massive chart of almost every starship out there. Star Wars? Of course. Star Trek? Obviously. Warhammer 40000? Eve? Wall-E? Yes, yes, and yes. It’s really neat to see each each side-by-side, so you can really start to get a sense of scale (something that’s usually pretty difficult to get a handle on in space). Now pick your favorite ship and try to hunt it down the high-res version, included below. Read more…
Tags: Sci-Fi, spaceships
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 8, 2013 in
Videogames 
With Oculus Rift’s all over the place now, more and more tech demos and games have been popping up with support for the impressive virtual reality goggles. Perhaps one of the most exciting genres of expansion will be space flight sims. It works well with the current limitations of VR (sitting in one place, only able to look around) and is simultaneously impressive visually. Cymatic Bruce has returned to take a quick look at three recent space ship games: Delta Draconis, GoD Factory, and Space War. I must admit, my own Oculus Rift headset will be arriving in mere days, so this is a great look at what to prepare for. Read more…
Tags: oculus rift, spaceships
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 27, 2011 in
Star Trek 
It still seems like half a year away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a jump start on your Christmas gifts. Like most of you, I usually don’t bother buying calendars until the holidays, and even then, I’m usually not the one I’m buying it for. This year will be different, however. Pocket Books just released their 2012 Star Trek Ships of the Line calendar. For just $15, the calendar comes packed numerous pieces of art depicting various starships against the lush backdrops of space, nebulae and even in the midst of battle. Each piece is displayed horizontally, and in a panoramic format allowing you to truly appreciate the art for what it is. The only drawback, at least from what I can tell, is that you might have some issues writing down your appointments on there. Then again, isn’t that what your Google Calendar or precious smart phone’s for? If you can’t wait, head over to the official Star Trek online store and pick yours up today.
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Tags: spaceships, Star Trek
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 23, 2010 in
Battlestar Galactica,
Fandom 
We’ll probably never have the opportunity to travel back in time to visit the sets of our favorite Sci-Fi movies and TV shows. However, thanks fanboys like Industrial Light and Magic’s Bill George — who, by the way, has a number of major film credits that including six Star Trek and two Star Wars films — many of the ships and models from those classic series have finally found a home of sorts. George has spent the last several years building a website, the Sci-Fi Airshow, which preserves many of the vehicles and ships designed over the years using a combination of digital photography and photoshop. In addition to some fantastic images, he provides semi-fictional accounts of the whereabouts of each ship since their Hollywood debut. Some of the ships to have been featured include Battlestar Galactica’s Viper and transport shuttle, and 2001: A Space Odyssey’s Orion space plane. Check out the his site for more information, and if you’d like, you can follow his group on Facebook. Read more…
Tags: Science Fiction, spaceships
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 26, 2010 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Star Wars 
Apparently the dark side isn’t just evil — but evil to your credit card: This amazing Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer Framed SpecPlate will set you a mere $1,994.99! Of course only 25 will be produced of this goodie which emulates the dedication plate that would be attached to the bulkhead of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Of course Acme Archives who makes this collectable didn’t skimp on the quality as this keepsake measures 43 by 24-inches and is made out of aluminum. Although the thing that surprises me is that I wouldn’t have expected the Empire to be so sentimental…
Tags: spaceships, Star Wars
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 1, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
Frankly for me Stargate was like frozen food, if there was nothing else around at the time I wanted to watch some sci fi I’d have to settle for it! I’ll be honest it was the low budget feeling to the show, and also I got that “hidden secrets of Atlantis” thing out of my system years ago. However sadly it seems I’ve overlooked the Stargate F-302 which has a pretty nice design to it — now that I’m seeing it outside the show! So I’d have to say that this limited edition model isn’t too shabby: Read more…
Tags: spaceships, Stargate
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 4, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Television 
Nick Tate as Captain Alan Carter
As a child of the 70s I loved the Eagles — no not the infamous rock band (although I do like the Twilight Zone plot to Hotel California) but the de-facto spaceship from Space:1999. The focus of the show was Moonbase Alpha of course, but the Eagle was the real workhorse of the show. Unlike Star Trek the poor Alphans didn’t have any transporter technology so the Eagle was vital for everything from visiting planets to moving about radioactive waste material. The industrial design of the craft was nothing short of brilliant a the mid-section could be swapped for modules that transported people or radioactive waste containers. Even better yet the head of the craft could be separated in case of emergencies. Read more…
Tags: Space:1999, spaceships
