Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > rec.arts.sf.written > #433388

Re: A Dream: Mercury in a Spacesuit

From Greg Goss <gossg@gossg.org>
Newsgroups rec.arts.sf.written
Subject Re: A Dream: Mercury in a Spacesuit
Date 2016-02-16 17:20 -0700
Message-ID <dihsnbF3pitU1@mid.individual.net> (permalink)
References <2366abdc-80e5-468c-a9af-2da2d0cad29e@googlegroups.com>

Show all headers | View raw


Joe Bernstein <joe@sfbooks.com> wrote:

>I'm curious about some technical aspects - is it really possible to 
>orbit Mercury at all, stably I mean, or would I inevitably get sucked 
>into a solar orbit, a crash on Mercury, or the Sun itself?  If I *could* 
>stick to Mercury, is it possible to stay in darkness?  (I'm pretty sure 
>not.)

One of the LaGrange points (quick google:  L2) is behind Mercury, but
I can't tell if it would be far enough out that you'd still see the
large sun AROUND Mercury.



> How would I actually die?  Stuff like that.  But yes, I do know 
>where rec.arts.sf.science is.

Most Apollo generation suits achieved cooling by venting air out (past
sweaty body or limbs first) of wrist or ankle vents.  So you'd
probably die from running out of air.  Suits are generally pretty
silvery, so that should cut down a large amount of the insolation
you're receiving.  I don't think you'd get failure of plastic or
rubber bits in the heat, followed by pressure failure.

>So this post is mainly a pseudo-YASID.  Where else besides <A Stone in 
>Heaven> and, I suppose, the movie <Gravity> do people actually go 
>meaningful distances in spacesuits?  How does that work?  (I mean, how'd 
>I *get* to Mercury without exhausting my air?)  For that matter, how 
>much is there about other ways to visit Mercury inadequately prepared, 
>and what happens next?

Suited people riding on framework "space sleds" are pretty common in
SF.  You've probably got a major spaceship somewhere near and were
using the sled to accomplish some local mission.

>
>And above all, what is there in written science fiction that conveys the 
>sheer terror of space in a spacesuit even as well as <Gravity> does, let 
>alone better?  <A Stone in Heaven> certainly doesn't go there.

"Dutchman!  Dutchman!"  An attempted murder in one of the Honor
Harrington books involves sabotaging a suit's motors to send the user
off beyond the limits of her short-range radio.  This happens often
enough ot have a standard emergency phrase to cover the situation,
though the odds of recovery are generally not good.  The wild
gyrations before her suit motor runs out of fuel leave her stomach
contents across her visor, so she cannot even see where she's going.
-- 
We are geeks.  Resistance is voltage over current.

Back to rec.arts.sf.written | Previous | NextPrevious in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Joe Bernstein <joe@sfbooks.com> - 2016-02-16 08:42 -0800
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Greg Goss <gossg@gossg.org> - 2016-02-16 17:20 -0700
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit "nuny@bid.nes" <Alien8752@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 17:39 -0800
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Cryptoengineer <treifamily@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 23:39 -0600
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit David DeLaney <daviddelaney@earthlink.net> - 2016-02-17 03:49 -0600
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit "a425couple" <a425couple@hotmail.com> - 2016-02-16 19:34 -0800
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Joe Bernstein <joe@sfbooks.com> - 2016-02-16 20:33 -0800
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Butch Malahide <fred.galvin@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 18:42 -0800
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Don Kuenz <garbage@crcomp.net> - 2016-02-17 17:36 +0000
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit wdstarr@panix.com (William December Starr) - 2016-02-16 22:14 -0500
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit hamish.laws@gmail.com - 2016-02-16 19:26 -0800
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Don Bruder <dakidd@sonic.net> - 2016-02-16 19:39 -0800
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Joe Bernstein <joe@sfbooks.com> - 2016-02-16 21:24 -0800
        Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Joe Bernstein <joe@sfbooks.com> - 2016-02-22 22:41 -0800
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Cryptoengineer <treifamily@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 23:46 -0600
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit wdstarr@panix.com (William December Starr) - 2016-02-18 22:58 -0500
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-02-18 20:51 -0800
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit "a425couple" <a425couple@hotmail.com> - 2016-02-16 19:56 -0800
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-02-17 00:47 -0800
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Greg Goss <gossg@gossg.org> - 2016-02-17 02:13 -0700
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-02-17 11:18 -0800
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit "a425couple" <a425couple@hotmail.com> - 2016-02-17 13:55 -0800
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-02-18 01:58 -0800
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Greg Goss <gossg@gossg.org> - 2016-02-18 09:48 -0700
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit wdstarr@panix.com (William December Starr) - 2016-02-18 23:04 -0500
        Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-02-19 02:20 -0800
          Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Cryptoengineer <treifamily@gmail.com> - 2016-02-19 23:30 -0600
  Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit peterwezeman@hotmail.com - 2016-03-14 18:38 -0700
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Greg Goss <gossg@gossg.org> - 2016-03-14 20:28 -0600
    Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit wdstarr@panix.com (William December Starr) - 2016-03-18 11:45 -0400
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) - 2016-03-18 16:13 +0000
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-03-18 09:48 -0700
        Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Peter Trei <petertrei@gmail.com> - 2016-03-18 09:57 -0700
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Sjouke Burry <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll> - 2016-03-18 19:48 +0100
        Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com> - 2016-03-18 12:10 -0700
      Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Steve Coltrin <spcoltri@omcl.org> - 2016-03-21 19:20 -0600
        Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit David DeLaney <daviddelaney@earthlink.net> - 2016-03-22 15:16 -0500
          Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-03-22 14:12 -0700
          Re: A Dream:  Mercury in a Spacesuit Steve Coltrin <spcoltri@omcl.org> - 2016-03-24 10:48 -0600

csiph-web