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Surface to Orbit at 1G

S

Supplement Four

SOC-14 5K
On a Size 8 world (Terra), it takes over half an hour for a ship using a 1G drive to make orbit.

I know we're not talking about the M. Falcon here, but isn't 33.33 minutes a bit long for travel time to orbit?
 
On a Size 8 world (Terra), it takes over half an hour for a ship using a 1G drive to make orbit.

I know we're not talking about the M. Falcon here, but isn't 33.33 minutes a bit long for travel time to orbit?
 
With a 1G drive you are relying on aerodynamic lift to get you airborne.

Then you have to compete with air resistance until you get above the thick atmosphere.
 
With a 1G drive you are relying on aerodynamic lift to get you airborne.

Then you have to compete with air resistance until you get above the thick atmosphere.
 
Thanks for that, Sig. You definitely are the "canonmonger".

When my players say, "Hey, it's just a 40 min flight to Dallas from Houston--and the 727 isn't a TL13 spacecraft! Certainly, a starship can get to open space faster than 30 minutes!"

I'll reply to 'em, "Yeah, but your spacecraft is big and bulky, and eventhough the hull is streamlined for atmsopheric entry, it would still drop like a rock without it's contra-grav drive...

"...and all the way up, it's pushing all that wind drag. Heck, it's not too different from the ship struggling it's way through the ocean--lots of water to push out of the way."


As a person, I didn't have a clue as to why the spacecraft took so long to get to orbit.

As a GM, though, now, I'll sound like I know what I'm talking about.

Thanks again, Sig.
 
Thanks for that, Sig. You definitely are the "canonmonger".

When my players say, "Hey, it's just a 40 min flight to Dallas from Houston--and the 727 isn't a TL13 spacecraft! Certainly, a starship can get to open space faster than 30 minutes!"

I'll reply to 'em, "Yeah, but your spacecraft is big and bulky, and eventhough the hull is streamlined for atmsopheric entry, it would still drop like a rock without it's contra-grav drive...

"...and all the way up, it's pushing all that wind drag. Heck, it's not too different from the ship struggling it's way through the ocean--lots of water to push out of the way."


As a person, I didn't have a clue as to why the spacecraft took so long to get to orbit.

As a GM, though, now, I'll sound like I know what I'm talking about.

Thanks again, Sig.
 
Its not just resistance, WJP. Sigg mentions it's using lift - because it can't actually overcome gravity - it can only counter it. Ship's drive (1G) = Planet's pull (1G). If you want to zing to orbit, you need more oomph than that. (It's also a heck of a lot longer from dirtside to orbit than it is from Dallas to Houston!)

Now, if they want to strap some suitably combustible (and highly dangerous!) material to their hull and shoot into the heavens on the end of a flame, that's a different story.............. (And, maybe the end of theirs!
omega.gif
toast.gif
)
 
Its not just resistance, WJP. Sigg mentions it's using lift - because it can't actually overcome gravity - it can only counter it. Ship's drive (1G) = Planet's pull (1G). If you want to zing to orbit, you need more oomph than that. (It's also a heck of a lot longer from dirtside to orbit than it is from Dallas to Houston!)

Now, if they want to strap some suitably combustible (and highly dangerous!) material to their hull and shoot into the heavens on the end of a flame, that's a different story.............. (And, maybe the end of theirs!
omega.gif
toast.gif
)
 
Originally posted by Fritz88:
Its not just resistance, WJP. Sigg mentions it's using lift - because it can't actually overcome gravity - it can only counter it. Ship's drive (1G) = Planet's pull (1G).
Click to expand...
I subscribe to the MT Starship Operator's Manual description of "overdrive" where a ship can produce more G's for very short periods (enough to get off planet, I presume).

I mean, if you've got a 1G ship, and you're skimming fuel from a GG (let's say 2G gravity), you've got to be able to break away from the planet's gravity--otherwise, most CT starships couldn't skim fuel.
 
Originally posted by Fritz88:
Its not just resistance, WJP. Sigg mentions it's using lift - because it can't actually overcome gravity - it can only counter it. Ship's drive (1G) = Planet's pull (1G).
Click to expand...
I subscribe to the MT Starship Operator's Manual description of "overdrive" where a ship can produce more G's for very short periods (enough to get off planet, I presume).

I mean, if you've got a 1G ship, and you're skimming fuel from a GG (let's say 2G gravity), you've got to be able to break away from the planet's gravity--otherwise, most CT starships couldn't skim fuel.
 
Originally posted by WJP:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Fritz88:
Its not just resistance, WJP. Sigg mentions it's using lift - because it can't actually overcome gravity - it can only counter it. Ship's drive (1G) = Planet's pull (1G).
Click to expand...
I subscribe to the MT Starship Operator's Manual description of "overdrive" where a ship can produce more G's for very short periods (enough to get off planet, I presume).

I mean, if you've got a 1G ship, and you're skimming fuel from a GG (let's say 2G gravity), you've got to be able to break away from the planet's gravity--otherwise, most CT starships couldn't skim fuel. </font>[/QUOTE]Slingshot method on the refueling with a ship that has lower G's than the planet. Besides the G's are less the farther out so even on a Gas giant with 14G at the surface you would (probably) only have to deal qith 1-1.5G's during skimming.

Dave Chase
 
Originally posted by WJP:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Fritz88:
Its not just resistance, WJP. Sigg mentions it's using lift - because it can't actually overcome gravity - it can only counter it. Ship's drive (1G) = Planet's pull (1G).
Click to expand...
I subscribe to the MT Starship Operator's Manual description of "overdrive" where a ship can produce more G's for very short periods (enough to get off planet, I presume).

I mean, if you've got a 1G ship, and you're skimming fuel from a GG (let's say 2G gravity), you've got to be able to break away from the planet's gravity--otherwise, most CT starships couldn't skim fuel. </font>[/QUOTE]Slingshot method on the refueling with a ship that has lower G's than the planet. Besides the G's are less the farther out so even on a Gas giant with 14G at the surface you would (probably) only have to deal qith 1-1.5G's during skimming.

Dave Chase
 
Originally posted by DaveChase:
Slingshot method on the refueling with a ship that has lower G's than the planet. Besides the G's are less the farther out so even on a Gas giant with 14G at the surface you would (probably) only have to deal qith 1-1.5G's during skimming.

Dave Chase
Click to expand...
Slingshot wouldn't work when skimming takes as long as it does (multiple hours).


Originally posted by DaveChase:
Besides the G's are less the farther out so even on a Gas giant with 14G at the surface you would (probably) only have to deal qith 1-1.5G's during skimming.

Dave Chase
Click to expand...
Which is why I picked 2Gs (instead of 15Gs at surface).
 
Originally posted by DaveChase:
Slingshot method on the refueling with a ship that has lower G's than the planet. Besides the G's are less the farther out so even on a Gas giant with 14G at the surface you would (probably) only have to deal qith 1-1.5G's during skimming.

Dave Chase
Click to expand...
Slingshot wouldn't work when skimming takes as long as it does (multiple hours).


Originally posted by DaveChase:
Besides the G's are less the farther out so even on a Gas giant with 14G at the surface you would (probably) only have to deal qith 1-1.5G's during skimming.

Dave Chase
Click to expand...
Which is why I picked 2Gs (instead of 15Gs at surface).
 
A 5 jupiter mass superjovian would have 15G at the cloud-tops; it's actually slightly smaller than Jupiter, just much denser. Gravity at skimming height would be essentially the same; the density drops very fast.
 
A 5 jupiter mass superjovian would have 15G at the cloud-tops; it's actually slightly smaller than Jupiter, just much denser. Gravity at skimming height would be essentially the same; the density drops very fast.
 
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