Missile-Based Cryogenics... Terraforming? For Colonizing!? YEEESSS.

[swarm_sadist]

A perfectly nice discussion of putting colonists inside a missile and shooting it at a planetoid. Not gonna lie, it sounds rather cool (if rather tedious) to do EVERY action with missiles. Survey, Terraform, Transport, Colonize, Garrison.

[xenoscepter (OP)]

@Ranged66

That's rather unhelpful... and rude.

[Panopticon]

@Ranged66

Yeah I am gonna pile on here, this ain't 4Chan man, be nice, if you don't like the idea then either just ignore it and move on or do what some of the rest of us are doing and either suggest modifications that might be neat or have fun with how ridiculous the idea is, there is no call for put downs.

[QuakeIV]

I question the actual usefulness, but the idea of an opposed colonization effort does sound vaguely hilarious to me.

e: so it just hit me, what about missile drop pods for infantry and such? that could be pretty cool, thematically speaking.  huge launch tubes filled with mechs and tanks and troops and stuff.

https://youtu.be/kyIMegaOxyg?t=42

[Tree]

I question the actual usefulness, but the idea of an opposed colonization effort does sound vaguely hilarious to me.

e: so it just hit me, what about missile drop pods for infantry and such? that could be pretty cool, thematically speaking.  huge launch tubes filled with mechs and tanks and troops and stuff.

https://youtu.be/kyIMegaOxyg?t=42

I assume that's just the combat drop pod modules.

[xenoscepter (OP)]

@Tree

I was just about to say that.

@All

Yeah, I thought it was a nifty idea for an after-project, once Steve finishes C#. I like the idea of a giant orbital MLRS that launches these to budding planets, it's pretty cool. As for a use-case, Missile Tubes are weapons, Cryogenic Transport Modules are not. From colonizing to ass-kicking with the swap of a mag.

[QuakeIV]

I mean, insofar as you don't have as much control over those as you do missiles.

[Rabid_Cog]

Now you are making me imagine ways one could weaponize Cryogenic Transport Modules.

Stasis missile, anyone?

[boggo2300]

You'd need a damn lot of missiles is all I'll say.

Though a nifty way to get intelligence teams onto an enemy colony...

[Tikigod]

My first reaction to the idea is why exactly would they need to be missiles with their own propulsion and other guidance system launched at destinations?

We're already launching thousands upon thousands of tons of minerals at a time from mass drivers from one planet to another and having them arrive safely at the destination. So if a civilisation was so inclined why wouldn't they simply develop more sturdy shipping coffins that hold 1 person with enough internal systems just to keep the occupant alive. And then the planetary mass drivers could launch thousands of colonists at a time at the destination.

At the end of the day, solving the 'surviving launching people in space coffins from mass drivers' engineering problem would probably be more efficient and practical then developing a consumable one-use intelligent human missile system approach.

[boggo2300]

My first reaction to the idea is why exactly would they need to be missiles with their own propulsion and other guidance system launched at destinations?

We're already launching thousands upon thousands of tons of minerals at a time from mass drivers from one planet to another and having them arrive safely at the destination. So if a civilisation was so inclined why wouldn't they simply develop more sturdy shipping coffins that hold 1 person with enough internal systems just to keep the occupant alive. And then the planetary mass drivers could launch thousands of colonists at a time at the destination.

At the end of the day, solving the 'surviving launching people in space coffins from mass drivers' engineering problem would probably be more efficient and practical then developing a consumable one-use intelligent human missile system approach.

Well without another mass driver to catch them, mass driver packets are orbital bombardment...

Hmmm an option to just launch packets of rock from mass drivers,  use them for Actual Moon is a Harsh Mistress style bombardment...

[Father Tim]

Sorry.  Aurora Mass Drivers can't move 'rock'.  The trans-newtonian physics they operate on can only hurl TN elements.  You'll have to bombard your enemy with expensive minerals, not free dirt.

[Bughunter]

Good point, but as long as the minerals can be recovered again after there are no more aliens infesting the planet that is still a way better investment than building ships & missiles out of them to do the same job.

[boggo2300]

Sorry.  Aurora Mass Drivers can't move 'rock'.  The trans-newtonian physics they operate on can only hurl TN elements.  You'll have to bombard your enemy with expensive minerals, not free dirt.

why?

[Tikigod]

Sorry.  Aurora Mass Drivers can't move 'rock'.  The trans-newtonian physics they operate on can only hurl TN elements.  You'll have to bombard your enemy with expensive minerals, not free dirt.

And if you have a human meatbag encased in a single occupant sized TN element composed space coffin?