Spaceship Design on Imaginary Worlds Podcast
Recently, I got the opportunity to discuss spaceship design on the excellent podcast, Imaginary Worlds. Eric Molinsky conducts NPR style shows about science fiction and fantasy topics. It’s an interesting podcast, and I’ve listened to a number of episodes. Eric does an excellent job, and it’s worth listening to for a variety of SFF topics. Spaceship design on Imaginary Worlds podcast was a fun topic, and the finished episode is great.
During the interview I learned just how big of a nerd I am. Eric and I spoke for an hour, and he picked out the best parts. I’m very happy with it. Surprisingly, my take on windows in spaceships is low-key controversial. Ha. I’m okay with that. I have my reasons, and maybe I’ll resurrect my spaceship design essay series someday to explain why. I will note that I’m a structural engineer, which mean that my job is to think of the worst case scenario at all times. I can be overly cautious in my pursuit of safety, which is why design should always be a team effort and not a single person’s endeavor. Diversity of thought and opinion is required for robust design because one person can’t think of everything.
I also learned from the other two guests. NASA astrophysicist Jessie Christiansen and JPL planetary scientist Kevin Hand made excellent points. I think they’re insights show why a team can produce the best design. We may disagree about, oh say windows, but that’s what makes a team important. For example, listening to Jessie say that people will want to see out into space with their own eyes, not just through a viewscreen, I had no choice but to agree. Her comments made me realize my comments weren’t refined enough. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the crew had the bar Ten Forward, which had a view of the space around the ship. This makes sense to me. For relaxation and for psychological relief, an exterior view will likely be needed. However, in space, piloting will not be by sight. Therefore, a cockpit with windows isn’t needed. With Jessie’s feedback, I’ve had to rethink my position, and that’s a good thing when it comes to design. Part of engineering is knowing when to hold and when to give ground. After all, everyone is trying to make the best ship possible.
Give the episode a listen, and let me know what you think of it. What’s your favorite SFF ship design? What ship or ship feature bugs you?