Documents / Report
This Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 1 November 2010, is one of a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It proposes a provisional cockpit design for craft driven by speculative breakthrough propulsion, such as control of gravity and inertia and faster-than-light travel. It draws mainly on the book Frontiers of Propulsion Science and on human-machine interface research.
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Outer Hull Inner Hull
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Crew Safe Zone
Figure 6. Inertial Frame Bias Drive and Vehicle Zones. [Credit: M. Millis]
To be explicit, the physics and engineering to create such situations do not yet exist.
The related physics can be categorized as still being at steps one and two of the
scientific method: defining the problem and collecting data. 8 Among many other issues
eluding discovery and resolution, major issues include momentum conservation, the
role played by inertial frames, and methods to affect gravitational and inertial
properties of matter and space.
Secondary Consequences
Pertinent to cockpit design, the normal sensations of motion inside the cockpit will likely
not be the same. In contrast to the advantage of shielding the crew from harsh
maneuvers, this shielding removes sensations of motion (seat-of-pants feeling) that
pilots use to help judge the motion of their vehicle. This detriment is compounded by
the likelihood of inducing motion sickness, since the visual cues of the vehicle's real
motion will be different from that felt by the pilot. A difference between visual and
vestibular cues is a cause of motion sickness. The option of allowing a certain portion of
the vehicle's g-loading to be transferred to the cockpit can be considered as a
mitigation strategy. Accordingly, cockpit controls to affect such changes are required.
Also, it is likely that this double-hull notion would prevent direct visual contact between
the occupants and the environment outside the vehicle, or perhaps distort such visual
cues beyond easy interpretation. In other words, do not expect windows. Without the
familiar visual and vestibular cues directly available to the pilot, it becomes vitally
important for the cockpit displays to provide reliable and instinctive cues for the pilot to
aptly judge the position, orientation, and motion of the vehicle.
Mixed Operational Regimes
A major desirable feature sought from propulsion breakthroughs is the ability to move
from the surface of the Earth directly into space. This implies that the vehicle's displays
and controls must readily encompass motion near the Earth's surface, ascent into space,
10
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 57 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.