Star Ship Polaris

Discussion in 'Fan Art' started by aridas sofia, Mar 3, 2008.

  1. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Gee, I actually remember the BSOD - but then, I'm hideously old.
     
  2. BK613

    BK613 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    gets better and better...
     
  3. Vektor

    Vektor Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I actually saw a BSOD as recently as a week ago, so you don't have to be old to remember them.
     
  4. B.J.

    B.J. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    "Abort, Retry, Fail?"
     
  5. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I remember that in DOS, and I also remember its cousin "Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?"
     
  6. Herkimer Jitty

    Herkimer Jitty Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I was actually going to make a 2001 joke, but decided against it. Y'know,

    "Open the pod bay door, Vek."
     
  7. Vektor

    Vektor Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    You want a scale reference? How about this?

    [​IMG]

    Or this?

    [​IMG]

    :D
     
  8. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Christ, that's awesome! :lol:

    Next, on Twilight Zone: "Geezer At 20,000 Feet," starring William Shatner.
     
  9. Venardhi

    Venardhi Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Those missiles are very, very large.

    I think I mentioned that before.

    Looking great.
     
  10. Psion

    Psion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That's very cool ... but aren't they standing the wrong way?

    :devil:
     
  11. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Well, you haven't seen what they're supposed to blow up. ;)
     
  12. Vektor

    Vektor Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Technically, yes, but they're not puffing up like overfed ticks with their eyes bugging out from vacuum exposure either, so let's hear it for creative license! ;)
     
  13. Vektor

    Vektor Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    But not without precedent. These missiles are 6 meters long by 0.8 meters in diameter, which puts them in a similar class with many real-world anti-ship missiles (that's essentially what these are in an outer space context). These are probably a little bulkier on average, but they are required to operate in an airless environment where they must provide all of their own propulsion for both thrust and maneuvering, often over vast distances. Also, these are intended for use against much larger ships, so the warheads are probably bigger.

    Though probably not as big as the crew would like. ;)
     
  14. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Duncan would like them much, much bigger and dirtier.
     
  15. Psion

    Psion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Curses! I'll get you next time, Vektor!
     
  16. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

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    for what it's worth, that's around the same size as the Pershing missiles deployed by the US which were 1.02 meters in diameter, and 10.5 meters long.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-31_Pershing#Missile
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2011
  17. JES

    JES Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Actually, it is probably a good thing that they aren't any bigger, since the bigger they are, the easier they are to hit.

    What are they supposed to be, small thermonuclear warheads? I'm no engineer, but I'd imagine that if they get hit while in their silos, that wouldn't be a good thing. I'm almost a little surprised that they don't have any hatches to conceal them now that I think of it...
     
  18. Vektor

    Vektor Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    If Polaris had been built as a warship, they probably would have, but you make do with what you have when the chips are down.
     
  19. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Even present day nuclear warheads are designed in such a way that a "one-point detonation" is pretty-much impossible (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_(nuclear_explosive)#One-point_Safe ) (and) by whatever time-period Polaris takes place, there are probably even better safety measures in place). You would possibly destroy the weapon, but you would not get a full-yield from the wepoan's warhead. Getting a full nuclear yield from a warhead requires a precise set of events to occur in a precise sequence. Most likely, you could hit the conventional explosive component of the warhead and cause the nuclear pit to shatter, spreading plutonium (or whatver fissile material they use in the 24th and a half century) all over the place.

    Now, you might still have to go out and decon the hull of your starship. but you'd still have a hull to decon.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2011
  20. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    ^If it stood up to the blast from all the conventional explosives in the warheads. Remember, if one goes off, all of the others are going to cookoff as well. That would still be a pretty big yield even without it going nuclear.