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"I'm a fairly visual thinker. In doing science, I think in terms of pictures of things happening, and then do the mathematics."
- Gregory Benford
 |
| Armor-Plate | ||
| The outside surface of the ship. |
This is an early discussion of how to protect a space ship and its inhabitants from the problem of asteroids and other matter in space.
Of course, the expression "armor-plate" has been used since the 1860’s to describe naval vessels with iron or steel affixed to the exterior.
| The outside surface was of smooth toughest armor-plate steel, capable of turning a high velocity armor-piercing shell. This was necessary to ward off possible blows from large meteorites or other bodies moving with celestial velocities. |
| Technovelgy from Moon People Of Jupiter,
by Isaac R. Nathanson. Published by Amazing Stories Quarterly in 1931 Additional resources -
|
Alas, this careful planning was to no avail!
A cursory examination revealed that a giant meteoroid, no doubt weighing many tons, and perhaps moving as fast as we were, had struck the “Martian” almost amidships; and at the extreme velocities with which both bodies were traveling, had torn clear through and passed out on the other side, as if the armor-steel sides of the vessel were made of paper, leaving two great gaping holes. The propulsion machinery, as well as a portion of the gravity repulsion engines, were wrecked and melted by the force of the impact. Fortunate it was that our air-purifiers and cylinders of oxygen up forward were intact, as also our stores of power in the stern of the ship. The air-tight, multicellular structure of the "Martian” prevented the entire loss of air and heat through the huge gaping holes; as otherwise we should all have been suffocated or been immediately frozen from the exposure to the intense cold of outer space.
(Meteor hulls ship in 'Moon People of Jupiter' by Isaac Nathanson)
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| Reflect Orbital Sunlight On Demand |
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'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.'
'The king, an old hand in the running of tyrannies, instantly grasped the directions...'
'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
'Then he became aware of a gentle pressure pushing him away from the ship.'
'And now they wre busily transforming all their companions, and so on, and so on...'
