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SyFy's 'Ascension' Takes 1960s Nuclear Spaceship Idea to the Stars
Space.com ^ | December 15, 2014 | Tariq Malik

Posted on 12/15/2014 5:01:23 PM PST by cripplecreek

A spaceship powered by nuclear bombs secretly launched in the 1960s. A colony ship on 100-year journey to spread humanity to the stars. These central themes of the SyFy Channel's epic "Ascension" miniseries this week sound like pure science fiction, U.S. scientists actually worked to build such a spaceship in the 1960s.

In "Ascension," a three-part SyFy miniseries that launches tonight (Dec. 15), 600 people live aboard an Orion-class nuclear spacecraft on a mission to Proxima Centauri. The mission launched in 1963, when the Space Race was in full swing and the Cold War made the threat of global nuclear war an uncomfortable possibility. This leads to Project Ascension, led by a Werner von Braun-esque Abraham Enzmann, who dreamed up a spaceship taller than the Empire State Building that is propelled by nuclear bombs.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: ascension; sciencefiction; scifi; space; tv
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To: shotgun
The problem with SyFy shows is they revert to Sharknado special effects which is funny stuff but sometimes I like some good old fashion true Sci-Fi

Stop animation, pie plates on strings, and guys walking around the hills outside of LA dressed up as crawling eyeballs?

41 posted on 12/15/2014 6:37:08 PM PST by Sirius Lee (All that is required for evil to advance is for government to do "something")
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To: cripplecreek

Cylon number 6. Reason enough to watch.


42 posted on 12/15/2014 6:37:18 PM PST by PhiloBedo (You gotta roll with the punches and get with what's real.)
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To: tcrlaf

Gotta figure a lot of wealthy people would buy their way on to a project like that and likely be a big source of funding. Few would be willing to give up their social status and I’m guessing social mobility would be nearly impossible.

Its a small sealed society and kind of has to be that way. The wealthy would make up the top level administration. The ship’s crew would be close to the top with the technicians making up the bulk of the middle class. The guys at the bottom would be those who do the production, everyday maintenance, cleaning etc.

I can pretty much guarantee there would be no welfare.


43 posted on 12/15/2014 6:38:03 PM PST by cripplecreek (You can't half ass conservatism.)
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

I think I’ve seen that. It counts down from discovery of impending doom to the ship finally leaving.


44 posted on 12/15/2014 6:39:54 PM PST by cripplecreek (You can't half ass conservatism.)
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To: ExCTCitizen
"I would love to see a conservative libertarian crew..."

It's the year 2266, the first year of the original Star Trek series. All Earth populations have undergone the demographic transition, i.e. achieved reasonable standards of living with associated levels of wages, education, empowerment of all sectors of society. Because of this the Earth's population has shrunk considerably, but is now stabilized because those remaining have strong instincts to bear children regardless of the net economic deficit.

The last major populations to undergo the demographic transition were all in Africa. So the vast majority of Earth's population is Black followed by Indian and Chinese.

People have never learned, and will never learn, the lessons of free markets. Between now and then the Earth experiences a number of recession and depressions. However, in 2266 the economy is going well and so there is enough excess money lying around to start a space program run by a highly subsidized group of NASA-like organizations from around the world.

Getting to be one of the first astronauts on-board requires technical skills and political intrigue. Only the most politically correct have a chance for a seat on board.

So basically a "true" Star Trek crew will be exactly like the politically correct crews of The Next Generation only mostly Black with a few Indians and Chinese.

They might have a token Caucasian aboard to keep the replicators operational.

45 posted on 12/15/2014 6:46:00 PM PST by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: Paradox
"Much better than his later stuff. "

That's what I've been reading in the reviews, that is the only book of his I've read.I was mentioning the book to my wife and she showed interest so she tracked down a copy...She'll have access to it tomorrow. :{)

46 posted on 12/15/2014 6:48:54 PM PST by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: cripplecreek

I am. Don’t have particularly hopes for it though.

On the other hand — it’s hard to get tired of looking at Tricia Helfer.


47 posted on 12/15/2014 6:49:32 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

There was a 1951 SciFi movie called “When Worlds Collide” that addressed that exactly. It was pretty good, but obviously dated. Good candidate for a remake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voW0RiNTbGI


48 posted on 12/15/2014 6:49:34 PM PST by rbg81
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To: who_would_fardels_bear
They might have a token Caucasian aboard to keep the replicators operational.

LOL I'm remembering the stupid aliens who kidnapped LaForge to keep their ship running. "Make it go"
49 posted on 12/15/2014 6:56:17 PM PST by cripplecreek (You can't half ass conservatism.)
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To: rbg81

I read a lot of vintage sci fi. Its amazing how much of it has been made into movies over the years. Phillip K Dick wrote “Second Variety” which was a short story that became the “Screamers” flicks.

In his version it was a war on earth between the West and Russia that led to killing robots.


50 posted on 12/15/2014 6:58:51 PM PST by cripplecreek (You can't half ass conservatism.)
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To: BenLurkin

OK, that’s crazy.


51 posted on 12/15/2014 7:23:05 PM PST by cripplecreek (You can't half ass conservatism.)
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To: cripplecreek; All

Now THAT was a twist I never expected....


52 posted on 12/15/2014 7:25:02 PM PST by tcrlaf (They told me it could never happen in America. And then it did....)
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To: cripplecreek

Wool meets The Truman Show. Pretty entertaining though. DVR material.


53 posted on 12/15/2014 7:26:47 PM PST by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: tcrlaf

Capricorn 1 but I don’t think anyone on the “ship” knows. The young girl suspects.

It sure would be an effective isolation experiment though.


54 posted on 12/15/2014 7:31:09 PM PST by cripplecreek (You can't half ass conservatism.)
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To: cripplecreek

I bought the series on Vudu so I’ll watch it tomorrow. It does look like a great show. It kind of gives me a Bioshock dystopian vibe.


55 posted on 12/15/2014 7:33:03 PM PST by Maelstorm (So you attacked a police officer and got shot? Imagine that?)
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To: cripplecreek

I watched it. At the end of the first episode they changed the story’s premise 180 degrees. Now the only question is: how soon will the characters realize what is going on, and what will they do about it?


56 posted on 12/15/2014 7:40:24 PM PST by VietVet (I am old enough to know who I am and what I believe, and I 'm not inclined to apologize for any of)
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To: cripplecreek

It’d be cool if they were actually in space. Just watched it. Garbage. Gotta show some skin every ten minutes to keep the geeks awake.


57 posted on 12/15/2014 7:42:42 PM PST by raybbr (Obamacare needs a death panel.)
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To: raybbr

More like every twenty five minutes. I keep hoping for the violent nudity.


58 posted on 12/15/2014 7:49:34 PM PST by AceMineral (One day men will beg for chains.)
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To: cripplecreek

Would the crew be stuck in the 1960s ,bell bottoms and long hair


59 posted on 12/15/2014 8:01:49 PM PST by molson209 (Blank)
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To: Rodamala

Cannot be as good as the crew here
http://www.comicbookbrain.com/_imagery/2013-01-03/UFO-TV-show-british-3.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0iXEIwjOCuA/UoHUXnkRHEI/AAAAAAAAHWA/U2vratYB_fw/s1600/UFO+7.jpg

Michael Caine’s future wife
http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Plynkes/media/ShakiraCaine.jpg.html


60 posted on 12/15/2014 8:06:52 PM PST by minnesota_bound
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