Greetings:

I'm looking for a cover image for the fall/winter issue of Horizons, the 
online magazine for the Houston section of AIAA (American Institute of 
Aeronautics and Astronautics). See www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons. I'm the 
volunteer editor for that publication. This issue features one or two 
articles on futuristic propulsion concepts. I'm looking for an image of a 
special, realistic, futuristic interstellar or intra-solar system 
spacecraft, that illustrates powerful propulsion as part of its design. As a 
long time user of POV-Ray, I figured this would be a good place to ask 
around. If you have such an image and would be willing to let us use it in 
exchange only for image credit and acknowledgement, I'd like to hear from 
you.

"Horizons" has won first place nationally two years in a row, recognized for 
excellence in production and content. Circulation (downloads) average about 
5000 per issue (sometimes as high as 20,000 per issue). It is read with 
interest in and around Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas.

Also, if you are aware of any galleries of renderings (or paintings) of 
futuristic spacecraft, I'd appreciate hearing about those, too.

Thanks!

Jon
Editor, Horizons
AIAA Houston
www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons

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Okay I had a quick mess around with the idea, I'm not sure if  "realistic" 
and "futuristic" are contradictions, so I decided to go with "stupidly over 
the top" and slap a huge booster on a tiny ship.

This is just a quick 10 minute nonsense but if it's at all suitable I could 
add some more details to make it into a proper image :)

-- 
Tek
http://evilsuperbrain.com

"Jon S. Berndt" <jsb### [at] hal-pcorg> wrote in message 
news:457e1f6a@news.povray.org...
> Greetings:
>
> I'm looking for a cover image for the fall/winter issue of Horizons, the
> online magazine for the Houston section of AIAA (American Institute of
> Aeronautics and Astronautics). See www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons. I'm the
> volunteer editor for that publication. This issue features one or two
> articles on futuristic propulsion concepts. I'm looking for an image of a
> special, realistic, futuristic interstellar or intra-solar system
> spacecraft, that illustrates powerful propulsion as part of its design. As 
> a
> long time user of POV-Ray, I figured this would be a good place to ask
> around. If you have such an image and would be willing to let us use it in
> exchange only for image credit and acknowledgement, I'd like to hear from
> you.
>
> "Horizons" has won first place nationally two years in a row, recognized 
> for
> excellence in production and content. Circulation (downloads) average 
> about
> 5000 per issue (sometimes as high as 20,000 per issue). It is read with
> interest in and around Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas.
>
> Also, if you are aware of any galleries of renderings (or paintings) of
> futuristic spacecraft, I'd appreciate hearing about those, too.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jon
> Editor, Horizons
> AIAA Houston
> www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons
>
>

Post a reply to this message

Attachments:
Download 'somekindarocket.jpg' (26 KB)

Preview of image 'somekindarocket.jpg'

Have you checked some of the previous rounds of the IRTC?  I remember seeing
some fairly impressive images that might suite you.  By "realistic," do you
mean propulsion systems that are actually possible? or are already being
researched?  That would be a very different story, but I'm sure someone
might be up to the challenge if you provided a bit of education.

Post a reply to this message

Hi Jon!

It's really exciting to see someone from Houston on this forum AND 
publishing magazines.  Looks like Tek has a very good ship for you.... would 
you need background to go with it?  I've been rendering planets, including a 
few to show in a movie...

Let me know if you need something...

"Jon S. Berndt" <jsb### [at] hal-pcorg> wrote in message 
news:457e1f6a@news.povray.org...
> Greetings:
>
> I'm looking for a cover image for the fall/winter issue of Horizons, the 
> online magazine for the Houston section of AIAA (American Institute of 
> Aeronautics and Astronautics). See www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons. I'm the 
> volunteer editor for that publication. This issue features one or two 
> articles on futuristic propulsion concepts. I'm looking for an image of a 
> special, realistic, futuristic interstellar or intra-solar system 
> spacecraft, that illustrates powerful propulsion as part of its design. As 
> a long time user of POV-Ray, I figured this would be a good place to ask 
> around. If you have such an image and would be willing to let us use it in 
> exchange only for image credit and acknowledgement, I'd like to hear from 
> you.
>
> "Horizons" has won first place nationally two years in a row, recognized 
> for excellence in production and content. Circulation (downloads) average 
> about 5000 per issue (sometimes as high as 20,000 per issue). It is read 
> with interest in and around Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas.
>
> Also, if you are aware of any galleries of renderings (or paintings) of 
> futuristic spacecraft, I'd appreciate hearing about those, too.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jon
> Editor, Horizons
> AIAA Houston
> www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons
>
>

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"EagleSun" <nomail@nomail> wrote in message 
news:457f2619$1@news.povray.org...
> Hi Jon!
>
> It's really exciting to see someone from Houston on this forum AND 
> publishing magazines.  Looks like Tek has a very good ship for you.... 
> would you need background to go with it?  I've been rendering planets, 
> including a few to show in a movie...
>
> Let me know if you need something...

  Eh? Why didn't you just show something that you've worked on?

    ~Steve~

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I'm of the opinion that a large enough power source, such as
a nuclear reactor, could produce enough electric power to fuel a large
ion thuster. If a thrust to power ratio of around 50 mN/kW is assumed, and
a total ship weight of 10 tons then we're looking for a power source of
about 2 gigawatts. This would let a ship accelerate a little over 1G for
extended periods. Such a ship could make a round trip to Alpha Centari A in
about 9 years. If such a vehicle was unmanned then little of the radiation
shielding would be needed, which is what turns a reactor into a big building
with 6ft thick cement walls.

Post a reply to this message

"Kirk Andrews" <kir### [at] hotmailcom> wrote in message 
news:web.457ebca6ff75702c9033e1160@news.povray.org...
> Have you checked some of the previous rounds of the IRTC?  I remember 
> seeing
> some fairly impressive images that might suite you.  By "realistic," do 
> you
> mean propulsion systems that are actually possible? or are already being
> researched?  That would be a very different story, but I'm sure someone
> might be up to the challenge if you provided a bit of education.

Hi, Kirk, and Tek, EagleSun, and all:

The cover story for the upcoming issue is written by someone from Ad Astra 
Rocket Company in Houston. See http://www.adastrarocket.com/. They are doing 
R&D on the VASIMR. They have some info at the web site. Also, there are 
these articles:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/vasimr_rocket_020807-1.html

http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Sep01/MSC23041.html

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/V/VASIMR.html

It's a really fascinating concept - really high-powered stuff. In the same 
issue, there will also be an article on the Mach Lorenz Thruster, which is a 
much more "out there" concept. However, if brought to fruition, it would be 
a major, major, breakthrough.  You can read about those here:

http://www.americanantigravity.com/articles/339/1/Machs-Principle-Evolves/Page1.html

http://www.woodwardeffect.org/

As for spacecraft and level of detail, I can say this: I like the plume in 
the image created by Tek, but I'd prefer a blue-ish plume, very bright (as 
you have it) near the nozzle exit and transitioning to a darker blue farther 
out. I suspect that any plume from a VASIMR would extend for quite a ways 
(several thousand feet?). The proposed ship is cool, but I think I'm looking 
for something different. Think about the space station. It's modular. I'm 
thinking that this ship would be comprised of components launched on a very 
big booster, in parts. Perhaps it would be made up of six to twelve module, 
50 feet long and 20 feet in diameter. Perhaps a few of them would have 
several windows. Perhaps the propulsion section would be isolated or 
protected from the habitable sections. Perhaps there would be structural 
provision for some kind of rotation for artificial gravity after the main 
propulsive phase had been completed. I'd *like* to see this kind of detail 
(or better !):

http://www.okino.com/nrs/pics/nrs_bab4.jpg

http://www.povplace.com/gallery/SciFi%20-%20Star%20Wars/19.jpg

The above are just some ideas. I know it's a lot to ask, and a lot to 
digest. That's why I was asking for something that might already be done, 
because I wouldn't feel right asking someone to do this specifically for the 
issue, in case it was not used. I'll check the IRTC competition pages. With 
that said, if someone does want to give it a try, I'll check back here 
daily. Feel free to contact me directly via email, too 
(edi### [at] aiaa-houstonorg). If I don't use a particular image, I have been 
thinking of an issue that features futuristic spacecraft artwork.

Thanks,

Jon

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"Tim Attwood" <tim### [at] comcastnet> wrote:
> I'm of the opinion that a large enough power source, such as
> a nuclear reactor, could produce enough electric power to fuel a large
> ion thuster. If a thrust to power ratio of around 50 mN/kW is assumed, and
> a total ship weight of 10 tons then we're looking for a power source of
> about 2 gigawatts. This would let a ship accelerate a little over 1G for
> extended periods. Such a ship could make a round trip to Alpha Centari A in
> about 9 years. If such a vehicle was unmanned then little of the radiation
> shielding would be needed, which is what turns a reactor into a big building
> with 6ft thick cement walls.

Tim, Tim! How un-friendly sending an unshielded nuclear reactor to our
nearest neighbour :-(
What are you trying to do, start an interstellar war?


Stephen

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> Tim, Tim! How un-friendly sending an unshielded nuclear reactor to our
> nearest neighbour :-(
> What are you trying to do, start an interstellar war?

Maybe we should build one before they do...

Besides, I'm sure it's worth a couple trillion for some perty pictures, 
after
all, the politicians just blow it on dumb stuff already.

Post a reply to this message

"Tim Attwood" <tim### [at] comcastnet> wrote in message 
news:457fd71f$1@news.povray.org...
>> Tim, Tim! How un-friendly sending an unshielded nuclear reactor to our
>> nearest neighbour :-(
>> What are you trying to do, start an interstellar war?
>
> Maybe we should build one before they do...
>
> Besides, I'm sure it's worth a couple trillion for some perty pictures, 
> after all, the politicians just blow it on dumb stuff already.

Good point, Tim....

Well Pov artists.. let's get started!

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