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Continuing my feature on Hard SF art, today featuring Rhys Taylor.
This series features artists whose work is grounded in hard science, and one cannot get more grounded in science than Blender artist Rhys Taylor, astrophysicist, Arecibo galaxy hunter, currently hailing from the Astronomical Institute, Prague.
When I started researching Project Orion after reading George Dyson’s book on the topic* one of the first things I came across was Rhys Taylor’s now famous youtube video Project Orion: A Re-Imagining. At the time I never dreamed that one day I would be brainstorming nuclear pulse propulsion concepts with Rhys1, nor did I imagine that my nuclear pulse propulsion art would play a role, albeit a small role2, the larger contribution being made by Winchell Chung, who provided Rhys with early concept art for the Discovery spacecraft from Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey, inspiring Rhys to produce his latest masterpiece.
Update 03-15-2015
For those who may be unfamiliar with Project Orion see my journal entry Orion: Nuclear Pulse Propulsion. This is a comprehensive article that covers the background of Project Orion, provides links to NASA studies, and links to Winchell Chung’s Atomic Rocket site’s Project Orion page along with links to insightful articles by aerospace engineer and space historian Scott Lowther who has researched Project Orion extensively and interviewed surviving members of the original General Atomics Orion team.
Orion Discovery by Rhys Taylor, published Jun 24, 2014
Featured: USS Discovery by Rhys Taylor
This is artwork by Rhys Taylor of an Orion Nuclear Pulse Propulsion version of the spacecraft Discovery based on concept art from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Rhys describes his re-imaging of Discovery in his blog post here: Learning To Love The Bomb
Note: Artwork posted with the express permission of the artist, Rhys Taylor feedback@rhysy.net
Deep Space Force by Rhys Taylor, published Aug 19,2012
Animation by master artist Rhys Taylor of rival fleets of nuclear pulse Orion spacecraft battling it out near Callisto. Note the realism, how the spacecraft maneuver, and the detailed thought behind radiators that retract under combat conditions, blast shielding to protect the vulnerable second-stage shock absorbers, weapons systems ... well, watch the video, you'll get the idea.
Also, note: these spacecraft have radiators.
You can see more Deep Space Force artwork and read Rhys’s own thoughts regarding the video on Rhys Taylors blog here: Deep Space Force.
Project Orion: A Re-Imagining by Rhys Taylor published Apr 19, 2006
More of Rhys Taylor's artwork and an excellent introduction to Orion is to be found here: Project Orion: How To Nuke A Spaceship Without Killing Anyone.
* Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship
1 Note of acknowledgement: Reconnaissance Mission Spacecraft
2Rhys Taylor, G+ blog post: A Space Odyssey With More Explosions
This series features artists whose work is grounded in hard science, and one cannot get more grounded in science than Blender artist Rhys Taylor, astrophysicist, Arecibo galaxy hunter, currently hailing from the Astronomical Institute, Prague.
When I started researching Project Orion after reading George Dyson’s book on the topic* one of the first things I came across was Rhys Taylor’s now famous youtube video Project Orion: A Re-Imagining. At the time I never dreamed that one day I would be brainstorming nuclear pulse propulsion concepts with Rhys1, nor did I imagine that my nuclear pulse propulsion art would play a role, albeit a small role2, the larger contribution being made by Winchell Chung, who provided Rhys with early concept art for the Discovery spacecraft from Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey, inspiring Rhys to produce his latest masterpiece.
Update 03-15-2015
For those who may be unfamiliar with Project Orion see my journal entry Orion: Nuclear Pulse Propulsion. This is a comprehensive article that covers the background of Project Orion, provides links to NASA studies, and links to Winchell Chung’s Atomic Rocket site’s Project Orion page along with links to insightful articles by aerospace engineer and space historian Scott Lowther who has researched Project Orion extensively and interviewed surviving members of the original General Atomics Orion team.
Orion Discovery by Rhys Taylor, published Jun 24, 2014
Featured: USS Discovery by Rhys Taylor
This is artwork by Rhys Taylor of an Orion Nuclear Pulse Propulsion version of the spacecraft Discovery based on concept art from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Rhys describes his re-imaging of Discovery in his blog post here: Learning To Love The Bomb
Note: Artwork posted with the express permission of the artist, Rhys Taylor feedback@rhysy.net
Deep Space Force by Rhys Taylor, published Aug 19,2012
Animation by master artist Rhys Taylor of rival fleets of nuclear pulse Orion spacecraft battling it out near Callisto. Note the realism, how the spacecraft maneuver, and the detailed thought behind radiators that retract under combat conditions, blast shielding to protect the vulnerable second-stage shock absorbers, weapons systems ... well, watch the video, you'll get the idea.
Also, note: these spacecraft have radiators.
You can see more Deep Space Force artwork and read Rhys’s own thoughts regarding the video on Rhys Taylors blog here: Deep Space Force.
Project Orion: A Re-Imagining by Rhys Taylor published Apr 19, 2006
More of Rhys Taylor's artwork and an excellent introduction to Orion is to be found here: Project Orion: How To Nuke A Spaceship Without Killing Anyone.
* Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship
1 Note of acknowledgement: Reconnaissance Mission Spacecraft
2Rhys Taylor, G+ blog post: A Space Odyssey With More Explosions
SpaceX Return to Flight -Iridium Flight 1
SpaceX returns to flight with a picture perfect launch and first stage landing on the autonomous drone ship "Just Read The Instructions."
Today's launch lofted 10 Iridium NEXT satellites into orbit on the first flight for Iridium of a planned 8 launches.
Today's successful landing marks the first Falcon 9 to touch down on drone ship "Just Read The Instructions." and the seventh successful Falcon 9 first stage landing.
Project Orion The USAF Plan 1962
Dr. Brent Ziarnick, Major, USAFR, gives an excellent talk on Orion and the role it might have played as part of the US strategic nuclear forces.
The engineering and physics side of nuclear pulse propulsion has been covered in great detail through declassified documents such as the General Atomics report on Orion, which can be found here: GA-5009 vol III "Nuclear Pulse Space Vehicle Study Conceptual Vehicle Design" and George Dyson's book,* which is an essential study guide to Orion, detail on the USAF side of Project Orion is still emerging. This video provides an in depth look at the scope of those plans.
*George Dyson's book can be found
National Geographic: Mars
This is a good watch, near future hard SF with well placed documentary style interviews. The first episode streams free at the National Geographic site linked, and can also be found on Hulu.
Video at the link: Mars: Novo Mundo
Constellation Program NTR Mars Mission Animation
Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0
The other day my friend f r a g o m a t i k shared this link to a stunning video animation of the (canceled) Constellation program nuclear thermal Mars mission.
The nine minute long animation depicts NASA Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 Constellation program 7-launch nuclear thermal Mars mission strategy.
You can download the PDF here: Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0
View the animation here: Mars Mission animation
Abstract
DRA 5.0 features a long surface stay “split mission” using separate cargo and crewed Mars transfe
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