From: "Robert Rousseau" (rousrob@megantic44.net)
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 09:27:11 -0500
Subj: Space station in Breakaway
I need some informations about the space station we see in Breakaway
- is it the only space station in orbit?
- what's the name of the space station?
- how many people on board?
- do we know what happened to the station after the breakaway?
This info is needed for my first space 1999 fiction. Thanks a lot.
From: "Mark Meskin" (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 11:59:35 -0600
Its called the Centauri Space Dock, and its the only one orbiting the Moon.
No clue on how many people on board, but I assume they were all killed
when the Meta probe and Space Dock were flung out of orbit and blew up. I
hope this helps.
-Mark
From: boomer@soulcage.inmind44.com
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 16:02:54 +0000
Subj: Re: Space stations in Breakaway, Dragon's Domain
I am more and more of the opinion that there were two space stations
in service prior to "Breakaway". There was a space dock in orbit over
the Moon, referred to in "Breakaway" as the launch platform for the
Meta Probeship. This got blown up, presumably by tidal gravitational
forces as the Moon was blasted out from under it. Then there was the
"International Space Dock" which Helena refers to in "Dragon's
Domain". The news announcer at the end of "Breakaway" said that there
was the possibility of using this facility as a base for a possible
mission to rescue the inhabitants of the Moonbase, but that this
space station was also swept out of orbit.
Possibly they are the same space station, but if so I don't think there was
enough time between the detonation of the waste dumps and the
destruction of the space dock for the authorities on Earth to
consider using it as a rescue facility. They probably weren't even
aware of what was happening yet.
Having two separate space docks addresses the issue of why the space
dock seen in "Breakaway" seems to be smaller in scale than the one in
"Dragon's Domain" - when compared to the Eagles that were docked to
them.
Also, was the term "Centauri Space Dock" ever used in the series?
My $0.02...
- Boomer
From: "Robert Ashley Ruiz" (espresso@dnai44.com)
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 1997 15:38:04 -0700
Subj: Re: Space station in Breakaway
It's true the Centauri space dock was destroyed at Breakaway (why it
would be, I don't know, unless it's somehow pulled apart by the
gravitational forces of Earth and the moon). As for it being the
only one, since the pilot refers to it by name in the beginning, it
could be assumed there were others, but at the end of Breakaway, the
news anchor reports that for a time a rescue was considered from the
space dock until it too was hurled out of orbit, so that makes it
sound like the only one. As a writer, though, you can do whatever
you want. There is nothing DEFINITIVE in the story to say it's the
only one, or that the only reason a rescue wasn't considered from
another space dock or space STATION is that it wasn't as close
relative to Alpha and the moon.
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 08:37:03 -0500
From: Gary Girouard (GGirouard@rihosp44.edu)
Robert, it was called the Interplanetry Space dock, that was the only
name i remeber reference made to it. There was never a mention of
anyone on the space station, and the station exploded in breakaway. In
the news report at the end of Breakaway, it says that is was hurled out
of orbit, Gary
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 17:36:17 +0100
From: Zoltan Motyan (motyo@castor.net.matav44.hu)
Subj: Centauri Space Dock And Other Orbital Object(s) Around The Moon
In "Breakaway" we could see as the orbital station exploded when the Moon
started to move away from its orbit. And if there was any other station
it also seems to have broken away from the Moon.
I have only the german dubbed version of "Collision Course" so sadly
I understand only little fragments of the dialogues. But there is a
scene when all Alphans are sure that Alan is dead - except Koenig.
He goes to the consoles and starts pushing the buttons like a magician.
Finally we can hear a special sound effect. Koenig states: "This is the
identifier signal of the ORBITAL SATELLITE" or something like that.
(Sadly I cannot understand the context and how they use that signal then.)
My question: do they have an orbital satellite? Obviously it must be launched
AFTER the breakaway, because in the opposite case it would've broken away or
destroyed as well as the space dock(s).
Please enlighten me! :)
I wish all of you a happy new year! Boldog Uj Evet!
Zoltan
From: atomicpossum@juno44.com (Jonathon P Stadter)
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 16:43:44 EST
Subj: Re: Centauri Space Dock And Other Orbital Object(s) Around The Moon
>Finally we can hear a special sound effect. Koenig states: "This is the
>identifier signal of the ORBITAL SATELLITE" or something like that.
This is something I would have always suspected they would
need...even more than a single orbital satellite, though, they should
require a network to maintain communications across the moon. A single
satellite in orbit would cover less than half of the moon. You'd
probably need at LEAST six, I would think, covering top, bottom, and four
'sides' of the moon, like the six sides of a cube. The figure in the
need to orbit them, and to keep an active window for communications at
all times, and things could get a little hairy. Geosynchronous
arrangement couldn't work as the moon rotates so slowly (once a month,
assuming it's the same after Breakaway), and a satellite maintaining the
same position over a point on the moon wouldn't have enough velocity to
maintain an orbital position unless it was VERY far away (which,
considering the course changes, etc, the Moon goes through, it would be
pretty tough keeping them under the moon's influence).
How else could the Alphans maintain communications with
Eagles/marauding aliens/space brains/Beta Clouds, etc., when the lunar
face Alpha is on was pointing away from it?
Jon "Mr. Wonderful" Stadter
From: "Mark Meskin" (plastic.gravity@newrock44.com)
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 00:13:50 -0600
Subj: Re: Centauri Space Dock And Other Orbital Object(s) Around The Moon
Perhaps a giant network of transmission towers, but those need line of
sight to work, and the surface of the moon curves away much quicker than on
earth, so that would require even more towers. Alpha must have a
warehouse full of those sattelites then, with all the course changes the
moon undergoes, these things must be scattered all over the Universe!
Perhaps the sattelites are not left in orbit all the time? Given the
state of Alpha's space capability, removing them would be about as simple
as going to get the mail.
From: GuyCore@aol44.com
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 23:05:07 -0500
Subj: Re: Centauri Space Dock And Other Orbital Object(s) Around The Moon
The lower the orbit, the more satellites you'd need. Minimum satellites you
could use at a high orbit is three.
From: GuyCore@aol44.com
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 00:12:29 -0500
I meant four satellites minimum.
Guy
From: mpoindexter@classtrain44.com (Marshall Poindexter)
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 08:07:55 -0600
Subj: Re: Satellites around the Moon
On 2 January 1997, Mark Meskin (plastic.gravity@newrock.com) in the great
city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wrote:
>Perhaps a giant network of transmission towers, but those need line of
>sight to work, and the surface of the moon curves away much quicker than on
>earth, so that would require even more towers. Alpha must have a
>warehouse full of those sattelites then, with all the course changes the
>moon undergoes, these things must be scattered all over the Universe!
>Perhaps the sattelites are not left in orbit all the time? Given the
>state of Alpha's space capability, removing them would be about as simple
>as going to get the mail.
We've discussed this topic briefly in the past. In order for the Alphans to
have the incredible views of space, approaching alien ships, etc. from the
Main Mission and Command Center screens, they MUST have had some orbital
satellite system to relay images. Remember the visuals of Koenig's Eagle
being sucked into the ship in "Collision Course"? They were shot from
*outside* the reference of Koenig's Eagle, meaning that we *weren't* seeing
it from a camera on that Eagle. If Alpha didn't have some sort of satellite
system, then they had a dang powerful camera lens on base... :)
Any camera experts on the list want to dissect this further?
Marshall Poindexter
mpoindexter@classtrain.com
From: atomicpossum@juno44.com (Jonathon P Stadter)
Subj: Re: Satellites around the Moon
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 11:13:54 EST
>If Alpha didn't have some sort of satellite
>system, then they had a dang powerful camera lens on base... :)
Why not? Why couldn't Alpha have had something like the Hubble,
only ground-based? No atmosphere to obscure it....Build a chamber for it
to screen out ambient light, perhaps situate it away from the base to
avoid the dust kicked up from Eagles as well, and, viola, a long range
telescope system that should work EXCEPTIONALLY well.
Of course, why they would have this kind of thing on the moon before
Breakaway is a bit of a mystery, but then why did the Howells take all
those clothes on a three-hour tour? :-)
Jon "Mr. Wonderful" Stadter
From: achana@eng.mc.xerox44.com (Amardeep S Chana)
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 10:08:46 PST
Subj: Orbiting Satellites and Video Images
One problem with the moon is that it is quite non-uniform in its mass
distribution. It is heavier on one side, which is why that side always
points toward the Earth. This has a detrimental effect on trying to keep
satellites in orbit around the moon for any extended amount of time. The
disturbances in gravitational field make it difficult to maintain a stable
orbit.
Regarding long distance video, I believe in Testament of Arkadia Paul mentions
that Luke and Anna's Eagle was detected in orbit around Arkadia by "long
range optics" or something like that. Whether those are on the base or in
some satellite depends upon the viewer's personal preference.
Indeed, much of this show depends on the viewer's own imagination. I know
some people who come up with many neat ways to reconcile Season I and II.
Personally, I believe they are in different universes altogether and don't
even attempt to link them. Same goes for UFO.
Bye for now,
Amardeep
From: Zoltan Motyan
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 01:16:22 +0100
Subj: Satellites and Black Sun
>Remember the visuals of Koenig's Eagle
> being sucked into the ship in "Collision Course"? They were shot from
> *outside* the reference of Koenig's Eagle, meaning that we *weren't* seeing
> it from a camera on that Eagle.
I'm afraid this is a WRONG example! This is one of the little bloopers of the
show: if you watch it carefully you can see that the camera shows this scene from
the angle of the ALIEN PLANET! I think it must be an intervision broadcasting
from the surface of Aeteria! :)
Okay, I repeat my question, because it may be an important part of this topic:
what was that "orbital satellite signal"-thing at the beginning of "Collision
Course", and how they used it to find Alan's Eagle?
--------------
So, suppose they had satellites. In this case the satellites would've been
in serious danger during the journey through the Black Sun. But it didn't
seem Alphans worried about that problem.
Another problem with "Black Sun" that I've never understood: Victor created
his wonderful gravity shield. But it covered only the Base! What's with
the other parts of the Moon?? They should've come out on the other side
on a small piece of rock!
Zoltan
From: "Robert Ashley Ruiz" (espresso@dnai44.com)
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 20:56:04 -0700
Subj: Alpha's Telescope
If I'm not mistaken, the round cutout in the wedge shaped building
of Alpha is supposed to be a telescope. Maybe it says this in the
Tech Notebook. Not sure. But I've read that somewhere--maybe even
on the MPC Moonbase Alpha model instructions.
From: Dave Walsh (voidspyder@pipeline44.com)
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 00:59:02 -0500
Subj: Re: Alpha's Telescope
Yeah, the building on the "south side" of Alpha is listed as the
Observatory building in both the Tech Notebook and the Moonbase Alpha model
instructions (An eternity of curses to my mother for throwing that model out
along with both my MPC Eagles!), and the round opening is called the
radiotelescope, though this is hard to understand on the model since the
base of the opening is the lunar surface. I still maintain that putting a
Hubble-type telescope into orbit around the moon along with half a dozen
relay/ commo satellites would be the best way to keep an eye on the hostile
universe around them.
"Ninety percent of Science Fiction is crud. That's because ninety percent
of everything is crud."
Theodore Sturgeon
Dave Walsh
Voidspyder@pipeline.com
From: Dave Walsh (voidspyder@pipeline44.com)
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 22:42:07 -0500
Subj: Re: Alpha's Telescope
>>I still maintain that putting a
>>Hubble-type telescope into orbit around the moon along with half a dozen
>>relay/ commo satellites would be the best way to keep an eye on the hostile
>>universe around them.
>
>No good. The moon (in 1999 physics) is always getting pulled this way and
>that, accelerating, slowing down...anything in orbit would be pulled away
>from the moon or crash into it.
>
>-Lee
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>Lee H. Pappas | www.pappas.com/~leehp
>Magazine Publisher/Founder of: | email: leehp@pappas.com
>VideoGames & Computer Entertainment | ------------------------------
[rest of .SIG snipped]
Actually, the secret is in balancing the two forces controlling bodies
in orbit around a larger celestial object: inertia and gravity. It would
take one hell of a jolt at just the right time to send a body out of orbit
(But then again, look at which list I'm writing to!), and would be more
likely to send it crashing into the moon's surface, as the moon's gravity
would prevail over inertia in most cases. Plus, you have a fleet of Eagles
to maintain the satellites and refuel the station-keeping thrusters, or even
tow them to a new orbit.
My last Astronomy class was several years ago, and I couldn't work
Cosmology into my college class schedule, so if there are any devotees of
St. Sagan (Well, he should be a saint anyway. Ermes, I'm expecting you to
back me up on this!) we'd like to hear you sound off on this subject.
From: John@coldnorth44.com (John J Fleming)
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 23:51:27 -0500
Subj: Re: Alpha's Telescope
Has anyone thought that maybe the satilites are tethered to the Moon??
That way, there would be no problem. Just don't let NASA build the tether. :-)
From: Mark Eidemiller (skylab@e-z44.net)
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 23:20:15 -0800 (PST)
Subj: Re: Alpha's Telescope
Good idea IF it was strong enough to stand the stresses of acceleration on
the satellites.
Questions:
(1) Were the tethered satellites in place before Breakaway?
(2) If YES, then why? It would seem a totally inappropriate method of
keeping satellites in place.
(3) If YES, the sudden violent acceleration might have snapped the tethers
and good-bye to the satellites.
(4) If NO, they were added later, then that might work....if they had some
foresight into the various unexpexted maneuvers the moon would undergo.