Discovery One
Encyclopedia
United States Spacecraft Discovery One is a fiction
al spacecraft
appearing in The Space Odyssey series
, including the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
. Discovery One is a large, nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship.
The spacecraft
is founded on solid, if as-yet unrealized, science. One concession was made for the purpose of reducing confusion, and that was to eliminate the huge cooling "wings" which would be needed to radiate the heat produced by the propulsion system
. Stanley Kubrick
felt that the audience might interpret the wings as meaning that the spacecraft was intended to fly through an atmosphere.
Discovery was named after Captain Robert Scott
's RRS Discovery
, launched 1901; Arthur C. Clarke used to visit the ship when she was moored in London. It shares its name with a real spacecraft, the Space Shuttle
Discovery (OV-103)
.
. 275 feet (84 m) of tankage and structure separate the spherical part of the ship where the crew quarters, the computer, flight controls, small auxiliary craft, and instrumentation were located. In the centrifuge, a crew would have enjoyed Moon-like gravity conditions created by spinning; it was there that they spent most of their time and where the hibernating astronauts slept in their hibernacula. Actual piloting, navigational checks, and the like took place in the zero-gravity environment command module. Other sections of the sphere include the pod bay, where three one-man repair and inspection craft were housed, and the HAL 9000
computer
with its level-upon-level of memory storage and related elements. Because of its lack of aerodynamic design and its large size, the ship was assembled and launched from Earth's orbit. As described in the novel, Discovery One was originally intended to survey Jupiter only but the mission was switched to Saturn to investigate the transmission of the Tycho monolith. As a result the mission becomes 'one way', following the survey of Saturn the crew are to remain in hibernation for an unknown period until a sister ship Discovery Two is built that will be able to travel to Saturn and return the crew.
's Valley Forge Space Technology Center and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. These controls were located in the command module. A Honeywell
nuclear reactor control panel
displayed information on such parameters as turbine
, compressor
, heat exchanger, secondary circulatory, and radiator liquid helium
storage, generator and recuperator performance, and pressures and temperatures at various stations. Precise readings could be obtained instantaneously on the control screen, if desired, as well as past performance and predicted future performance.
The fictional Cavradyne engines were based on research into gaseous core nuclear reactors and high-temperature ionized gases. The theory was presumed to have shown that gaseous uranium
-235 could be made critical in a cavity reactor
only several feet or meters in diameter if the uranium atom
ic density were kept high, and if temperatures were maintained at a minimum of 20,000 °F (11,400 K). At first, progress was slow because of such early unsolved problems as how to reduce vortex
turbulence in order to achieve high Separation ratios, and how to achieve adequate wall cooling in the face of the thermal radiation
from the high-temperature plasma. In the Cavradyne system, the temperature of the reactor was not directly limited by the capabilities of solid materials, since the central cavity was surrounded by a thick graphite
wall that moderates the neutrons, reflecting most of them back into the cavity. Wall cooling would be ensured by circulating the hydrogen
propellant
prior to its being heated. Fissionable fuel energy was said to be transferred to the propellant
by radiation
through a specially designed rigid—and coolable—container.
was a spinning band of deck, mounted inside the crew compartment. The centrifugal force
created by its spin simulated the effects of gravity. It was the primary living and work area, featuring consoles, panels, screens, and devices. There was an automated kitchen
developed with the assistance of General Mills
; a ship-to-Earth communications center; a complete medical section where the astronauts undergo regular automated checkups (results were displayed and recorded, and diagnosis
of deficiencies given directly on a readout screen, and medicament or other treatment prescribed) an observatory
, created with the help of astronomers at the Royal Greenwich Observatory; and a geophysical exploration module worked out with French
engineers from the Paris-based Schlumberger Limited. The latter permitted a wide variety of surface and subsurface experimentation to take place on an alien body, such as an asteroid
or a moon
. Since subsurface structure could be extremely important in the spaceship's investigatory program in the Jovian system, a drill
was incorporated into a remotely-controlled surface lander
. Controls on the console included a depth selector, drilling rate selector, equipment calibration, recording and error analysis controls, and various screen and gauge indications of subsurface characteristics.
), along with the HAL 9000. In the book IBM
predicted that computer development would have advanced to such an extent that the mission could be undertaken with all the astronauts placed in hibernation
. It was said to be desired, however, that regular communications be maintained throughout the voyage between the pilot and copilot and mission control back on Earth. During communication, account was taken of the elapsed time for electromagnetic
waves crossing space between the spaceship and the Earth
. Naturally, this time would depend on the relative positions of the bodies in the Solar System
at any given moment.
, Bowman deactivates the malfunctioning computer and thus effectively isolates himself onboard Discovery. When the spacecraft arrives at Jupiter
, it encounters TMA-1's considerably larger cousin, 'Big Brother' or 'TMA-2' at the L1 point between Jupiter and Io
. Bowman decides to leave Discovery and examine the Monolith only to be taken inside it. Discovery is left abandoned and drifts into a decaying orbit about Io.
In the novel 2010: Odyssey Two
, set nine years after the events of 2001: A Space Odyssey, a joint Soviet-US mission (including Heywood Floyd) travels to Jupiter
aboard the spacecraft Alexei Leonov to investigate the mysteries surrounding the 2001 mission, believing Discovery harbors many of the answers. Leonov docks with Discovery, reactivates the onboard systems and brings it out of orbit around Io. Hal's creator, Dr. Chandra is sent aboard to reactivate the HAL 9000
computer and ascertain any information he can regarding the previous mission.
Later on, an apparition of Dave Bowman appears before Floyd, warning him that Leonov must leave Jupiter within fifteen days. Floyd asks what will happen at that time and Bowman replies, 'Something wonderful.' Floyd has difficulty convincing the rest of the crew, at first, but a dark spot on Jupiter begins to form and starts growing. HAL's telescope observations reveal that the “Great Black Spot” is in fact a vast population of monoliths, increasing at a geometric rate. (The film accelerates the pace, both shortening Bowman's deadline to two days and making the spot grow faster.)
Initially it was planned to inject Discovery on an Earth-bound trajectory (though it would not arrive back for some years), however when faced with Bowman's warning, Leonov crew devises a plan to use Discovery as a 'booster rocket
', enabling them to return to Earth
ahead of schedule, but leaving Discovery in a wide orbit of Jupiter. The crew worries that Hal will have the same neuroses on discovering that he will be abandoned yet again, and Chandra must convince HAL that the human crew must leave.
Detaching itself from Discovery, Leonov makes a hasty exit from the Jupiter system, just in time to witness the swarm of Monoliths engulf Jupiter. Through a mechanism the novel only partially explains, these monoliths increase Jupiter's density until the planet achieves nuclear fusion
, becoming a small star.
As Leonov leaves Jupiter, Bowman instructs HAL to begin repeatedly broadcasting the message:
The movie version, as part of its heightened Cold War
emphasis at Earth
, adds the words:
The new star, which Earth eventually dubs "Lucifer
", destroys Discovery entirely. HAL is transformed into the same kind of life form as David Bowman, and becomes Bowman's companion.
USSA "Registration Number": XD-1
Overall Length: 140.1 m
Overall Beam: 16.7 m
Overall Draft: 17 m
Command Module Diameter: 16.5 m
Reactor Module Length: 32.2 m
Reactor Module Draft: 8.8 m
Mass: 5,440 tonnes
Life Support: (two men, out of hibernation
): 90 months
Engine Type: Cavradyne Plasma
Propulsion
System (Six Engines) - Liquid Ammonia
Fuel- Thrust Deflector Plates- Maximum Thrust
280,000 kgf
(2.75 MN).
Computer: HAL 9000
Logic Memory System (Completed Jan. 12, 1992 at the HAL Plant in Urbana
, IL.)
Suspended Animation
System: Meditech 712-R Hibernacula (3 Centrifuge, 5 Medical Level)
EVA
Craft: Grumman DC-3 EVA Pods (3)
Pod Bay features: Three each Pod turntable Base, Extension motor, Extension Platform, Outer hull door, Space suit
rack. Test bench with two LCD screens and HAL 9000 terminal. Two large emergency oxygen
bottles. Nine small emergency oxygen bottles. Circuit Breaker
Box. Manual control station with HAL 9000 terminal, Six LCD screens, and full control set.
Pod Bay Deck: Along with the Pod Bay, the Pod Bay Deck also features an emergency airlock
, circuitry storage bay, two fresh water
tanks, a maintenance equipment room, an emergency shelter and space suit
rack, emergency batteries
for the centrifuge
and pod bay, and a zero-g toilet
.
Living Module: Centrifuge, Magnetic-Drive type. 11.6 m. diameter. Rotation Rate 3 RPM.
Living Module Control Stations: 12-screen HAL 9000 interface
/ communications module, Nuclear reactor
monitoring station, Remote probe control, Radar
mapping station, climate control, and Revival Monitoring Station.
Living Module Habitation Features: Sanitary module, (Shower, Sink, Waste water recycling Control) Three Meditech 712-R Hibernacula, Sun-ray tanning station, Water closet (Head), Three Circuit breaker
panels. One emergency space suit locker, Two spare part lockers, Three clothing lockers.
Cockpit: Two seats for Mission Commander and Deputy Commander. Full range of instruments and control panels. Two sets of four LCD screens and HAL Visual Sensor.
Command Deck: The Command Deck includes the cockpit, zero-g astronomy
lab, zero-g sciences lab, two fresh water
tanks, six-spacesuit recharge unit, a pre-launch personnel clearance area, the circuit breaker
room, and a zero-g toilet. The Command Deck also includes all HAL 9000
related systems (see below).
HAL 9000
systems: Logic memory center, auxiliary power unit, computer climate regulation system, autonomic systems control center, and reactor control system.
Thrusters: Eight Mk 114 on command module. 720 kgf (7.1 kN) thrust each. Two forward and two aft of reactor module. Nine Mk 29 vernier thrusters; three clustered around each Cavradyne engine exhaust. 1,600 kgf (15.7 kN) thrust each. Eight mid-course correction thrusters
(four on each TJI propulsion mount) Four emergency escape rockets at Command Module rear.
Central Communications Complex: Discovery One's central communications complex is mounted atop the seventh fuel module aft of the command section. The main audio-visual communications antenna
measures 4.13 meters in diameter. Both telemetry
antennas measure 1.26 meters across. The entire assembly can be swiveled 360 degree
s and aimed upwards or downwards at any angle between 0 and 285 degrees.
Misc. Equipment: An emergency communications antenna, about half the size of the main antenna, is stored beneath the blow-away cover at the command module's top. Four probes (two atmospheric, two remote-controlled landers) and a telescope
array are stored beneath the bottom blow-away cover.
Structural Support: Discovery One's reactor module is secured to the aftermost fuel module by four heavy-duty docking latches. Twelve reinforced coupling units along the spine provide additional support. The spine and reactor module are held in place by six docking latches at the intermodule adapter plate. The entire spine/reactor assembly can be jettisoned in an emergency by eight explosive separation bolts installed in the adapter plate. Finally, the entire Emergency Propulsion
System (EPS) can be jettisoned using a ring of 16 explosive bolts installed in a ring around the forward section of the EPS. There is no re-docking capability for any assembly.
Crew:
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
appearing in The Space Odyssey series
The Space Odyssey series
The Space Odyssey series is a science fiction series of four novels and two films created from 1968 to 1997, primarily by the writer Arthur C. Clarke...
, including the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
. Discovery One is a large, nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship.
History
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
is founded on solid, if as-yet unrealized, science. One concession was made for the purpose of reducing confusion, and that was to eliminate the huge cooling "wings" which would be needed to radiate the heat produced by the propulsion system
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
. Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
felt that the audience might interpret the wings as meaning that the spacecraft was intended to fly through an atmosphere.
Discovery was named after Captain Robert Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
's RRS Discovery
RRS Discovery
The RRS Discovery was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in Britain. Designed for Antarctic research, she was launched in 1901. Her first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first, successful...
, launched 1901; Arthur C. Clarke used to visit the ship when she was moored in London. It shares its name with a real spacecraft, the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Discovery (OV-103)
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
.
Background
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Discovery is described as 460 feet (140 m) long (the 2010 movie mentions 250 ft.) and powered by "Cavradyne" gaseous core nuclear reactor enginesGas core reactor rocket
Gas core reactor rockets are a conceptual type of rocket that is propelled by the exhausted coolant of a gaseous fission reactor. The nuclear fission reactor core may be either a gas or plasma...
. 275 feet (84 m) of tankage and structure separate the spherical part of the ship where the crew quarters, the computer, flight controls, small auxiliary craft, and instrumentation were located. In the centrifuge, a crew would have enjoyed Moon-like gravity conditions created by spinning; it was there that they spent most of their time and where the hibernating astronauts slept in their hibernacula. Actual piloting, navigational checks, and the like took place in the zero-gravity environment command module. Other sections of the sphere include the pod bay, where three one-man repair and inspection craft were housed, and the HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
with its level-upon-level of memory storage and related elements. Because of its lack of aerodynamic design and its large size, the ship was assembled and launched from Earth's orbit. As described in the novel, Discovery One was originally intended to survey Jupiter only but the mission was switched to Saturn to investigate the transmission of the Tycho monolith. As a result the mission becomes 'one way', following the survey of Saturn the crew are to remain in hibernation for an unknown period until a sister ship Discovery Two is built that will be able to travel to Saturn and return the crew.
Cavradyne Engines
According to the book, the ship's propulsion controls would be designed with the assistance of General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
's Valley Forge Space Technology Center and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. These controls were located in the command module. A Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
nuclear reactor control panel
Control panel (engineering)
A control panel is a flat, often vertical, area where control or monitoring instruments are displayed.They are found in factories to monitor and control machines or production lines and in places such as nuclear power plants, ships, aircraft and mainframe computers...
displayed information on such parameters as turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
, compressor
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
, heat exchanger, secondary circulatory, and radiator liquid helium
Liquid helium
Helium exists in liquid form only at extremely low temperatures. The boiling point and critical point depend on the isotope of the helium; see the table below for values. The density of liquid helium-4 at its boiling point and 1 atmosphere is approximately 0.125 g/mL Helium-4 was first liquefied...
storage, generator and recuperator performance, and pressures and temperatures at various stations. Precise readings could be obtained instantaneously on the control screen, if desired, as well as past performance and predicted future performance.
The fictional Cavradyne engines were based on research into gaseous core nuclear reactors and high-temperature ionized gases. The theory was presumed to have shown that gaseous uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
-235 could be made critical in a cavity reactor
Dense plasma focus
A dense plasma focus is a machine that produces, by electromagnetic acceleration and compression, a short-lived plasma that is so hot and dense that it can cause nuclear fusion and emit X-rays. The electromagnetic compression of the plasma is called a pinch. It was invented in the early 1960s by...
only several feet or meters in diameter if the uranium atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
ic density were kept high, and if temperatures were maintained at a minimum of 20,000 °F (11,400 K). At first, progress was slow because of such early unsolved problems as how to reduce vortex
Vortex
A vortex is a spinning, often turbulent,flow of fluid. Any spiral motion with closed streamlines is vortex flow. The motion of the fluid swirling rapidly around a center is called a vortex...
turbulence in order to achieve high Separation ratios, and how to achieve adequate wall cooling in the face of the thermal radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
from the high-temperature plasma. In the Cavradyne system, the temperature of the reactor was not directly limited by the capabilities of solid materials, since the central cavity was surrounded by a thick graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
wall that moderates the neutrons, reflecting most of them back into the cavity. Wall cooling would be ensured by circulating the hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
prior to its being heated. Fissionable fuel energy was said to be transferred to the propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
by radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
through a specially designed rigid—and coolable—container.
Centrifuge
The ship's centrifugeCentrifuge
A centrifuge is a piece of equipment, generally driven by an electric motor , that puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis...
was a spinning band of deck, mounted inside the crew compartment. The centrifugal force
Centrifugal force
Centrifugal force can generally be any force directed outward relative to some origin. More particularly, in classical mechanics, the centrifugal force is an outward force which arises when describing the motion of objects in a rotating reference frame...
created by its spin simulated the effects of gravity. It was the primary living and work area, featuring consoles, panels, screens, and devices. There was an automated kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
developed with the assistance of General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
; a ship-to-Earth communications center; a complete medical section where the astronauts undergo regular automated checkups (results were displayed and recorded, and diagnosis
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
of deficiencies given directly on a readout screen, and medicament or other treatment prescribed) an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
, created with the help of astronomers at the Royal Greenwich Observatory; and a geophysical exploration module worked out with French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
engineers from the Paris-based Schlumberger Limited. The latter permitted a wide variety of surface and subsurface experimentation to take place on an alien body, such as an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
or a moon
Natural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
. Since subsurface structure could be extremely important in the spaceship's investigatory program in the Jovian system, a drill
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
was incorporated into a remotely-controlled surface lander
Lander (spacecraft)
A lander is a spacecraft which descends toward and comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body. For bodies with atmospheres, the landing is called atmospheric reentry and the lander descends as a re-entry vehicle...
. Controls on the console included a depth selector, drilling rate selector, equipment calibration, recording and error analysis controls, and various screen and gauge indications of subsurface characteristics.
Communications
The Discovery is described as a very large ship that could be handled by only two astronauts (David Bowman and Frank PooleFrank Poole
Frank Poole is a fictional character from Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series. In Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Poole was portrayed by Gary Lockwood....
), along with the HAL 9000. In the book IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
predicted that computer development would have advanced to such an extent that the mission could be undertaken with all the astronauts placed in hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
. It was said to be desired, however, that regular communications be maintained throughout the voyage between the pilot and copilot and mission control back on Earth. During communication, account was taken of the elapsed time for electromagnetic
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
waves crossing space between the spaceship and the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Naturally, this time would depend on the relative positions of the bodies in the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
at any given moment.
The Fate of the Discovery
Following the malfunction of HAL 9000HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
, Bowman deactivates the malfunctioning computer and thus effectively isolates himself onboard Discovery. When the spacecraft arrives at Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, it encounters TMA-1's considerably larger cousin, 'Big Brother' or 'TMA-2' at the L1 point between Jupiter and Io
Io (moon)
Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
. Bowman decides to leave Discovery and examine the Monolith only to be taken inside it. Discovery is left abandoned and drifts into a decaying orbit about Io.
In the novel 2010: Odyssey Two
2010: Odyssey Two
2010: Odyssey Two is a 1982 best-selling science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It is the sequel to the 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, but continues the story of Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation with the same title and not Clarke's original novel. The book is a part of Clarke's...
, set nine years after the events of 2001: A Space Odyssey, a joint Soviet-US mission (including Heywood Floyd) travels to Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
aboard the spacecraft Alexei Leonov to investigate the mysteries surrounding the 2001 mission, believing Discovery harbors many of the answers. Leonov docks with Discovery, reactivates the onboard systems and brings it out of orbit around Io. Hal's creator, Dr. Chandra is sent aboard to reactivate the HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
computer and ascertain any information he can regarding the previous mission.
Later on, an apparition of Dave Bowman appears before Floyd, warning him that Leonov must leave Jupiter within fifteen days. Floyd asks what will happen at that time and Bowman replies, 'Something wonderful.' Floyd has difficulty convincing the rest of the crew, at first, but a dark spot on Jupiter begins to form and starts growing. HAL's telescope observations reveal that the “Great Black Spot” is in fact a vast population of monoliths, increasing at a geometric rate. (The film accelerates the pace, both shortening Bowman's deadline to two days and making the spot grow faster.)
Initially it was planned to inject Discovery on an Earth-bound trajectory (though it would not arrive back for some years), however when faced with Bowman's warning, Leonov crew devises a plan to use Discovery as a 'booster rocket
Booster rocket
A booster rocket is either the first stage of a multi-stage launch vehicle, or else a strap-on rocket used to augment the core launch vehicle's takeoff thrust and payload capability. Boosters are generally necessary to launch spacecraft into Earth orbit or beyond...
', enabling them to return to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
ahead of schedule, but leaving Discovery in a wide orbit of Jupiter. The crew worries that Hal will have the same neuroses on discovering that he will be abandoned yet again, and Chandra must convince HAL that the human crew must leave.
Detaching itself from Discovery, Leonov makes a hasty exit from the Jupiter system, just in time to witness the swarm of Monoliths engulf Jupiter. Through a mechanism the novel only partially explains, these monoliths increase Jupiter's density until the planet achieves nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
, becoming a small star.
As Leonov leaves Jupiter, Bowman instructs HAL to begin repeatedly broadcasting the message:
The movie version, as part of its heightened Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
emphasis at Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, adds the words:
The new star, which Earth eventually dubs "Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
", destroys Discovery entirely. HAL is transformed into the same kind of life form as David Bowman, and becomes Bowman's companion.
Specifications
Official Name: USSC Discovery OneUSSA "Registration Number": XD-1
Overall Length: 140.1 m
Overall Beam: 16.7 m
Overall Draft: 17 m
Command Module Diameter: 16.5 m
Reactor Module Length: 32.2 m
Reactor Module Draft: 8.8 m
Mass: 5,440 tonnes
Life Support: (two men, out of hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
): 90 months
Engine Type: Cavradyne Plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
Propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
System (Six Engines) - Liquid Ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
Fuel- Thrust Deflector Plates- Maximum Thrust
Thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's second and third laws. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction on that system....
280,000 kgf
Kilogram-force
A kilogram-force , or kilopond , is a gravitational metric unit of force. It is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in a gravitational field...
(2.75 MN).
Computer: HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
Logic Memory System (Completed Jan. 12, 1992 at the HAL Plant in Urbana
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
, IL.)
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
System: Meditech 712-R Hibernacula (3 Centrifuge, 5 Medical Level)
EVA
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
Craft: Grumman DC-3 EVA Pods (3)
Pod Bay features: Three each Pod turntable Base, Extension motor, Extension Platform, Outer hull door, Space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
rack. Test bench with two LCD screens and HAL 9000 terminal. Two large emergency oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
bottles. Nine small emergency oxygen bottles. Circuit Breaker
Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow...
Box. Manual control station with HAL 9000 terminal, Six LCD screens, and full control set.
Pod Bay Deck: Along with the Pod Bay, the Pod Bay Deck also features an emergency airlock
Airlock
An airlock is a device which permits the passage of people and objects between a pressure vessel and its surroundings while minimizing the change of pressure in the vessel and loss of air from it...
, circuitry storage bay, two fresh water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
tanks, a maintenance equipment room, an emergency shelter and space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
rack, emergency batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
for the centrifuge
Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a piece of equipment, generally driven by an electric motor , that puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis...
and pod bay, and a zero-g toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
.
Living Module: Centrifuge, Magnetic-Drive type. 11.6 m. diameter. Rotation Rate 3 RPM.
Living Module Control Stations: 12-screen HAL 9000 interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
/ communications module, Nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
monitoring station, Remote probe control, Radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
mapping station, climate control, and Revival Monitoring Station.
Living Module Habitation Features: Sanitary module, (Shower, Sink, Waste water recycling Control) Three Meditech 712-R Hibernacula, Sun-ray tanning station, Water closet (Head), Three Circuit breaker
Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow...
panels. One emergency space suit locker, Two spare part lockers, Three clothing lockers.
Cockpit: Two seats for Mission Commander and Deputy Commander. Full range of instruments and control panels. Two sets of four LCD screens and HAL Visual Sensor.
Command Deck: The Command Deck includes the cockpit, zero-g astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
lab, zero-g sciences lab, two fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
tanks, six-spacesuit recharge unit, a pre-launch personnel clearance area, the circuit breaker
Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow...
room, and a zero-g toilet. The Command Deck also includes all HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
related systems (see below).
HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
systems: Logic memory center, auxiliary power unit, computer climate regulation system, autonomic systems control center, and reactor control system.
Thrusters: Eight Mk 114 on command module. 720 kgf (7.1 kN) thrust each. Two forward and two aft of reactor module. Nine Mk 29 vernier thrusters; three clustered around each Cavradyne engine exhaust. 1,600 kgf (15.7 kN) thrust each. Eight mid-course correction thrusters
Rocket engine
A rocket engine, or simply "rocket", is a jet engineRocket Propulsion Elements; 7th edition- chapter 1 that uses only propellant mass for forming its high speed propulsive jet. Rocket engines are reaction engines and obtain thrust in accordance with Newton's third law...
(four on each TJI propulsion mount) Four emergency escape rockets at Command Module rear.
Central Communications Complex: Discovery One's central communications complex is mounted atop the seventh fuel module aft of the command section. The main audio-visual communications antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
measures 4.13 meters in diameter. Both telemetry
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
antennas measure 1.26 meters across. The entire assembly can be swiveled 360 degree
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
s and aimed upwards or downwards at any angle between 0 and 285 degrees.
Misc. Equipment: An emergency communications antenna, about half the size of the main antenna, is stored beneath the blow-away cover at the command module's top. Four probes (two atmospheric, two remote-controlled landers) and a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
array are stored beneath the bottom blow-away cover.
Structural Support: Discovery One's reactor module is secured to the aftermost fuel module by four heavy-duty docking latches. Twelve reinforced coupling units along the spine provide additional support. The spine and reactor module are held in place by six docking latches at the intermodule adapter plate. The entire spine/reactor assembly can be jettisoned in an emergency by eight explosive separation bolts installed in the adapter plate. Finally, the entire Emergency Propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
System (EPS) can be jettisoned using a ring of 16 explosive bolts installed in a ring around the forward section of the EPS. There is no re-docking capability for any assembly.
Crew:
- David Bowman (Mission Commander)
- Frank PooleFrank PooleFrank Poole is a fictional character from Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series. In Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Poole was portrayed by Gary Lockwood....
(Deputy Commander) - Victor Kaminsky (Survey Team Leader) [Geophysicist in the novel]
- Jack Kimball (Geophysicist) [Peter Whitehead/Survey Team Leader in the novel]
- Charles Hunter (Astrophysicist)