Deathzero wrote:As to the gate business, lots of sci-fi series use an explanation along these lines: Wormholes can be affected by gravity, having one too close to a planet can either destabilize the transport path, causing the "cargo" to either be shunted off course or lost to the void, or cause some type of planetary cataclysm.
Xail Jaderune wrote:Joshua has also stated that transit without a arrival gate is basically suicide. He said that you could fall short of your coordinates, or overshoot them completely. Then the starship has to make the agonizing crawl to the target destination... which in turn fails supposedly because they haven't developed technology to get them to the destination before starvation, cabin fever, or even old age itself kills the crew.
Joshua A.C. Newman wrote:When you use a transit gate to send matter or data to another solar system, it's pretty imprecise. You probably don't exactly hit orbit. And you sure don't want to try to get so precise that you lit atmosphere because who knows what your incoming velocity will be. So you go for moon distance and see what you get. Having another transit gate at the other end makes it far, far more precise. A solar system with a transit gate can bring in materials bound for any body in that system.
Joshua A.C. Newman wrote:Precision drops with distance. If you throw something far enough, you won't even know where you threw it until its radio signal gets back to you centuries later. Precision is greatly enhanced by having a receiving transit gate.
Eventually yes, I suppose the Solar Union will reach that brick wall but as of the current Solar Calendar (0245) each new colony's transit gate apparently still continues to expand the gate network's optimal range thus curbing the necessity for new or more refined transportation technology.Xail Jaderune wrote:The process you described is exactly the correct logical one under the current travel restrictions. You would send probes, since the cost of energy for gate activation is so high that it requires a vote amongst the Union. However that model only works for the planets within optimal distance of the Gate network. The Solar Union will eventually expand to fill those limits, and then they'll hit the same brick wall they did with the initial colonies. Thus it wraps back around to the fact that they need to upgrade how they travel in space.
Another interesting possibility for the continued use of the transit gates at their current efficiency level.Xail Jaderune wrote:My point for pushing this idea is to open the door for possibilities. That fan-fiction can contain a private interest with access to technology not currently available in the Solar Union. Not because it doesn't exist or they don't know about it... but because the Government likes the current model of how things work, and they don't want to put forth the effort to fund and research that technology. Because think about it... if ships could get around however they wanted, the Solar union would have a lot harder time staying unified. Jupiter and mars colonies would no longer need to convene in council with earth. So the current model keeps everyone honest and unified, because without it nobody would be able to amass the resources for travel.
Xail Jaderune wrote:Plus I think Wang Tech already has a bazillion off the books projects in the realm of forbidden technology.
Joshua A.C. Newman wrote:I'm sure they could!
It also takes time to be precise, remember. It doesn't take more energy to send someone farther, though; the limit on distance is precision. It takes more energy to send something bigger. And the time to make the calculations are non-negotiable.
Joshua A.C. Newman wrote:Nah, there's a reason I'm leaving all actual numbers out of the equation: it's handwavingly impossible.
Joshua A.C. Newman wrote:I think there's a lot of ensignbarf after each first transit out of the first port or two.
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