JMS needs a technical advisor, was Re: Regarding "No Compromises"

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: rtaylor at cmc.net (Russ Taylor)
Date: 25 Jan 1998 18:24:14 -0700
Lines: 65

In article <980125012303-gordonm at portal.ca>, gordonm at portal.ca wrote:

>In article <34CA2D3A.5BB2 at virginia.edu> of group 
>rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated, Tariq Moustapha writes:
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>> Wayne Throop wrote:
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>> > x spoilersbane
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>You are wrong. The maneuver is very simple. All that is require for the 
>"hover relative to a point on the rotating section of the station" 
>maneuver, as illustrated in _No Comproimises_ is thrust towards the axis 
>of the station while rotating (no thrusting required to maintain spin) 
>at the same frequency as the station. From the perspective of those on 
>the station the ship would appear to be firing straight down.

I would buy that _if_ the exact right thrust could be applied ONCE the
ship was in _exactly_ the right position at _EXACTLY_ the right spin, it
could be done.  However, the juggling to get all those factors right would
give a computer a splitting headache, let alone a pilot.  The slightest
error, including irregularity in the thrust (almost inevitable), would
quickly send the StarFury away from the station.

It is _not_ a simple manuever, it's several times HARDER than matching
spin and course with a rotating object, which is not that simple to begin
with.

-- 
Russ Taylor (rtaylor at cmc.net)
Chambers Multimedia Connection Help Desk

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 25 Jan 1998 20:51:03 -0700
Lines: 14

Excuse me, folks, but he was using a B5 starfury, which is programmed like all
starfuries there to sync up with the station's rotation for purposes of
docking, ejecting, and holding position for repair purposes.  All a pilot would
have to do is tell the on-board computer to sync up the thrusters with the
station's rotation, and it'd be done.

This is a no-brainer...which is why I didn't specify it in dialogue (also it
would've killed the drama of the momen).  

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
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