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It was extremely good for its time. For instance, the creators asked scientists to estimate the efficiency of solar panels at the time, and computed the area ne
by AlanSE 6y ago
It was extremely good for its time. For instance, the creators asked scientists to estimate the efficiency of solar panels at the time, and computed the area needed for the space stations they drew. Truly incredible that they went to these lengths.
Nonetheless, it is very dated. Fusion power looks a lot worse today than it did back in 2003. The fusion-powered space Jovian exploration ship would be right at home in today's sci-fi (just as much the future today as then), but He-3 as a reason to go into space as been eviscerated. People who still (unrealistically) hope for a fusion game-changer are more often touting proton-Boron, and He-3 doesn't even fundamentally change problems of ignition conditions and radiation, it just mitigates it.
They also didn't do much to predict radical reduction in launch costs. In the PlanetES world, it still felt very expensive to get into space. They didn't go unless they had a corporate sponsor or were filthy rich. I don't even remember anything that hinted at booster re-usability, which is now (astonishingly) reality.
There's also the obvious fact that sending people to do trash pickup was always more Hollywood than reality. They knew that then.
- m4rtink 6y agoThere was massive amount of in space infrastructure and lots of people. Even though they did space mining there is no way they would be able to put all that in place without RLVs. IIRC they even show them a couple times, basically big NASP like SSTO aerospaceplanes. They also have regular transcontinental flights going through space, even though its IIRC not clear if its sub orbital ballistic trajectories or FOBS like partial orbit ones. Still, many would-be hard SF films get this completely wrong - huge space stations and/or interplanetary spaceships yet they launch it all on rather dated looking expandable boosters! Already The Martian it's pushing is pushing it with using basically improved EELVs (launched by ULA, none the less!) yet having hundreds if not thousands of tons of equipment and propelant in place. Interstellar or Ad Astra is bad shit insane - dinky ELVs and multiple interplanetary colonization attempts and humongous space ship in the former and KFC & artillery fireballs on the Moon in the former. And Ad Astra even has booster stages being dropped when launching from Mars because hey, why not waste even more resources!
- AlanSE 6y agoThe opening of PlanetES is actually funny. They show a ton of historic rockets, even suggesting a progression over time, but then it hardly makes it to the then-present day of 2003. It's like "over time, rockets got bigger, and then question mark".