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EmGem wiki

A reference for my EmGem worldbuilding and story.

Entries in the main body are in alphabetical order, while the table of contents are in thematic and alphabetical orders.

Contents – thematic order

Contents – alphabetical order

Amber

Life-bearing planet. It orbits the star Topaz in a fairly stable circular orbit.

Amber is an Earth-like world. Due to the closer proximity to its sun, Amber gets more ultraviolet radiation than Earth, but this is somewhat moderated by the sun’s being of a lower temperature than Earth’s G2V sun (K1V). It is named thus due to the subtle hue of its sun’s light.

The atmosphere is a bit thicker than Earth’s; oxygen content is 23%. Its sky color is K1V star: steel-blue fading to near-white at the horizon (#6e787c/rgb(110,120,124) to #ffffee/rgb(255,255,238)).

Amber sky color gradient strip – K1V

Average surface temperature is 18°C (Earth’s is around 14°C).

Minerals, rocks and gems are much the same as those formed on Earth.

Data

Area
618,554,374.395 km2 (note: to calculate surface area of sphere: Area = 4πr2)
Atmosphere
1.1 (16.17 psi/111.1 kPa) (N2, O2, Ar); 23% O2
Axial tilt
16°
Circumference
6.908 (44,082.5 km)
Day length
A day is the equivalent of 30 Earth hours (1.25 times longer than an Earth day)
Density
4.8 g/cm3
Diameter
14,031.71 km
Distance
K1V star: .62 AU or 92,750,680 km
Escape velocity
12,320 meters/second
Gravity
0.96 of Earth (using density of 4.8 and radius 1.1 of Earth’s); a human will weigh about 4% less on Amber
Mass
1.16 of Earth = 6.92522 × 1020 kg (6,925,200,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg)
Moons
Three
Radius
7015.91 km (1.1 times that of Earth)
Roche Limit (2.423 of a planet’s radius)
2.6653
Size of star from planet
K1V star: viewing angle = 1°; appears half again as large than the Sun does from Earth’s sky (0.5°)
Temperature range
−50°C to +50°C
Volume
5.572 (1,446,573,940,288.983 km3) (note: to calculate the volume of a sphere: Volume = 4 πr3/3 (r3 × π × 4 ÷ 3 – in ASCII math: r^3 * \pi * 4 / 3 ))
Year length
K1V star: 226.6 days (365 × .62; 5438.4 Earth hours – .4 = 98 m or 1.6 hours)

Years and days

A day is the equivalent of 30 Earth hours (1.25 times longer than an Earth day). It divides into 8 × 210 minute-segments:

A year starts and ends at the summer solstice (southern hemisphere); it is divided into quarters, delineated by solstices and equinoxes.

Amber years conversion
Amber years Earth years equivalent (K1V star)
1 226.6 Earth days (.62 Earth years)
2 1.24
3 1.86
4 2.48
5 3.1
6 3.72
7 4.34
8 4.96
10 6.2
11 6.82
12 7.44
20 12.41
30 18.6
40 24.83
50 31.04
60 37.24
70 43.45
75 46.56
80 49.66
85 52.76
100 62.8
110 68.29

References

Characters

Crew

Crew of the ISS Emissary.

Darius Tiley

American billionaire entrepreneur, founder of Project LISSA; the sole one of The Octet who embarks on the interstellar mission. He has an obsession with spaceflight and, ultimately, finding and contacting alien life.

In appearance, he is nice-looking, well-groomed and tends to dress conservatively and in discretely expensive clothing.

In personality he is impatient, confident – even arrogant – and determined to get what he wants. He is reticent and prefers to keep a low profile, particularly since he has become immensely wealthy. He has little use for trinkets such as multiple international mansions or yachts, preferring to direct his wealth toward his obsessions (spaceships and – hopefully! – contacting aliens).

Biographical information

Born
1972
Eye color
Grey
Hair color
Reddish-brown
Height
6 feet (183 cm/1.8 m)
Physique
Slim
Skin color
White/tanned
Weight
74 kg (BMI of 22)
Religion/beliefs
A bit of a mixture. Former LDS/Mormon Church. Also somewhat libertarian and a Mormon transhumanist.

Carnelian

The first planet of the Topaz system. It is a volcanic rocky world with a hot thick cloudless atmosphere – a “Hot Super Earth”; possibly the core of a gas giant that migrated inward. The atmosphere is blue around its apparent disk edge, but its surface glows deep red with tectonic activity, so it was named after the semiprecious stone. There is some simple bacterial life existing on it nonetheless as the atmosphere contains water vapor and free oxygen.

Data

Axial tilt
8°
Diameter at equator
22,000 km
Distance
K1V star: 0.185 AU (27,675,606 km)
Year length
K1V star: 0.079 Earth years = 29.04 Earth days orbit equivalent

Hibernation

A state of drug-induced torpor used for the crew onboard the ISS Emissary during its centuries-long interstellar voyage. They are awakened every so often to maintain health and fitness.

References

Pearl

The outermost moon orbiting Amber. It is mostly covered in ice and is a pale bluish-white color (#f0ffff).

Data

Diameter
1800 km
Radius
900 km
Density
4.1 (RL = 2.953)
Distance
48 radii (336 761.6736 km)
Viewing angle
0.0026, 0.0052 (0.3 degrees – appears 2° smaller than Earth’s Moon in sky)
Orbit
443.908 hours/18.49 days/14.8 Amber days
K1V star: 12.25 yearly orbits

ISS Emissary

The interstellar starship that carries the crew to the alien world. It was built with private funding from The Octet and Mormon Church, with no government involvement at all, as was the preference.

Its crew of 6 are put into induced hibernation for the majority of the decades-long journey. For interstellar travel, it utilizes a laser- or microwave-propelled lightsail, the array for this being positioned at the L4 point between Sun and Earth.

In design, the ship is long and spindly, the majority of its length (z-axis) comprising the central backbone truss (it is in fact informally referred to as the backbone). At the bow is the hexagonal deflection shield and the huge laser sail is stored in and deployed from the rim of this. The habitation modules are in the center. Behind these, two or four large wedge-shaped radiators are arrayed around the backbone at right-angles to each other to dissipate heat from the two fission drives and thrusters at the stern end.

Two radial arms tipped by inflatable habitation modules extend from the central hab modules; a section of the latter rotate and the resultant centrifugal force induces gravity, so the top of each module faces inward towards the main body of the ship. One module is for hibernation; the other is for daily living, while the central truss module is for equipment storage and supplies, and work. The remote habs are accessed from the main body by a tunnel surrounded with a truss structure. A similar tunnel extends along the backbone of the ship.

The arms can fold up rearwards against the main truss while the ship is under acceleration or deceleration.

Truss and modules are hexagonal in cross-section; the shield is hexagonal. (An Arc Symbol theme as it is aesthetically pleasing.)

There is a Single-Stage to Orbit spacecraft docked to the central module, enabling the crew to be transported to a planet’s surface and back. This could alternatively be a future version of the SpaceX Starship.

Statistics

Length
1.3 km
Weight
400 tonnes (approx.)
Shield
400 m diameter
Backbone truss
Front girder (shield to hab modules): 700 m long; rear girder: 300 m
Radial arms
106 m radius each; spin at 2.9 revolutions per minute. These can fold rearward when the ship is under strong acceleration.
Crew
6
Interstellar propulsion
Laser- or microwave-propelled lightsail, 8.5 km in diameter, hexagonal-shaped, 1 micron thick (microwave array is a 10 km per side square)
In-system propulsion and maneuvering
Fission-fragment rocket, powered by a thorium-based reactor drive (and one auxiliary drive)
Acceleration
Up to .3g
Velocity
Up to .1c
Emissary starship diagram

A stylized SVG diagram of the ISS Emissary.

References

A small selection of some of the online references I used.

Mission parameter calculations

Sites used for mission parameter calculations (to K1V star 107 Piscium):

From the first link, pertinent entries (with “Use Circular Sail” and “Circular Comm Optics” both ticked; table is at the end of this entry). I am deliberately constraining myself using the results here.

More calculations, using the other two links:

  1. Time to get to limiting speed: 2,400,000,000 m/s / 4.38 m/s^2 (19.1844) = 547,945,205.47 seconds (17.37 years)
  2. With time known, distance covered: s = v_i t + 1/2at^2
  3. The second term drops out because v_i = 0, so all you have to do is plug in the numbers: s = 1/2at^2
  4. s = 1/2(4.38 m/s^2)(547,945,205.47)^2: 4.38 x 547,945,205.47 then square this, then halve it: 657,534,246,552,657,534.246771 m = 69.5 light years
  5. So, 17.37 years time taken and 6.938 ly crossed to accelerate to 8.01% of c.
UC Santa Barbara Laser Propulsion data results
Inputs Value Unit Outputs Value Unit
Payload 400000 kg Sail Mass 5.67E+07 g
Use Circular Sail TRUE checkbox Total Mass 4.57E+08 g
Use Optimal Sail Size FALSE checkbox Areal Density 1 g/m^2
Sail Diameter 8500 m Laser Power in Main Beam 3.00E+05 GW
Sail Thickness 1 um Flux on Sail 0.00529 GW/m^2
Sail Density 1 g/cm^3 Peak Acceleration 4.38 m/s^2 0.447 g_n
Sail Reflection Efficiency (0 - 1) 1 L_0 220 au 3.29E+10 km
Sail Light Absorption (0 - 1) 1 Time to L_0 44.8 d 3.87E+06 s
Sail Front Emissivity (0 - 1) 1 Speed at L_0 1.70E+04 km/s 5.66 % c
Sail Back Emissivity (0 - 1) 1 Kinetic Energy at L_0 1.83E+07 GW*hr 6.58E+19 J
Use Circular Laser Array TRUE checkbox Laser Energy in Main Beam at L_0 3.23E+08 GW*hr 1.16E+21 J
Laser Array Diameter 10000 m Electrical Energy at L_0 3.23E+08 GW*hr 1.16E+21 J
Total Optical Power 300000 GW Launch Efficiency at L_0 (KE / Electrical Energy) 5.66 %
Beam Efficiency (0 - 1) 1 Electrical Energy Cost at L_0 3.23E+13 $
Wavelength 1060 nm Energy Storage Cost at L_0 3.23E+16 $
Electrical Efficiency (0 - 1) 1 Limiting Speed 2.40E+04 km/s 8.01 % c
Electrical Energy Cost 0.1 $/kW-hr Time to Target at Limiting Speed 310 yr
Energy Storage Cost 0.1 $/W-hr Max Flux Absorbed by Sail 0 GW/m^2
Peak Laser Comm Power 1 W Max Power Absorbed by Sail 0 GW
Photons Per Bit for Communication 1 ph/bit Sail Equilibrium Temperature 0 K
Laser Comm Wavelength 600 nm Laser Comm Flux at Earth 0.0000256 ph s^-1m^-2
Laser Comm Beam Efficiency (0 - 1) 1 Equivalent Photometric Magnitude m_v 37.7
Use Circular Comm Optics TRUE checkbox Laser Comm Rate Received in Array 2.01E+03 ph/s
Laser Comm Optical Diameter 1 m Laser Comm Bit Rate Received in Array 2.01E+03 bits/s
Target Distance 24.8 ly Laser Comm Wavelength at Speed at L0 635 nm
Laser Comm Wavelength at Limiting Speed 650 nm

4:58 AM 9/01/2022

ISS Emissary patch

The crew patch for the voyage. On a grey-rimmed black background of space, six 6-pointed stars represent the crew, surrounding a stylized view of the ISS Emissary, with its (very truncated for the diagram) solar sail deployed in front of the shield. The patch itself is hexagonal, a shape found throughout the starship, such as the shield and the backbone in cross-section.

Emissary mission patch

Background notes

Why these colors? Because they are my favorite colors! Also some (grey, green, blue) represent their wearers’ eye colors.

Jean-Pierre Verdier

A French medical doctor and astronaut-physician who has spent his career at the European Space Agency. He has been on one prior space mission to the International Space Station along with Sergei Konstantinov, Yuri Zolotyov and Kathy Colquhoun.

Biographical information

Born
1958
Hair
Grey (formerly brown)
Eyes
Intense sapphire blue
Religion/beliefs
Atheist

Kathy Colquhoun

Female NASA/American mission specialist and generalist, cross-trained in various disciplines. She completed one Space Shuttle flight mission to the ISS.

Biographical information

Born
1968
Hair color
Honey-blonde
Eye color
Amber
Religion/beliefs
Raised Protestant/Baptist, but now only nominally

Onyx

The nearest moon of the three satellites orbiting Amber. It is a charcoal-grey in color (#595959). It is tidally-locked to Amber, so that one side always faces the planet.

Data

Diameter
2400 km
Radius
1200 km
Density
4.5
Distance
24 radii = 168,380.8368 km (Roche Limit of 2.8518 radii)
Viewing angle
0.8° (appears slightly bigger than Moon – Earth’s Moon is 60.27 radii from the Earth right now; it is 0.5°)
Orbit
156.94 Earth hours/6.5 days/5.2 Amber days
K1V star: orbits 34.65 times in a Amber year

Project LISSA

Garnet

The second moon of three orbiting Amber. it is an ochre-red in color (#c72), similar to Mars. It is used to measure time – 1 orbit equals 8 Amber days, the equivalent of a week.

Data

Diameter
1900 km
Radius
950 km
Density
4.3
Distance
32 radii (224,507.7824 km) from Amber (Roche Limit = 2.905)
Viewing angle
0.0042, 0.0084 (0.4 degrees – appears 1° smaller than Earth’s Moon in sky)
Orbit
241.63 Earth hours/10.06 days/8 Amber days (
K1V star: 22.5 orbits in a Amber year (so an extra “leap day” in the last week every 2 years)

Sapphire

The third planet of the Topaz system. It is a Class II water cloud Jovian gas giant. It is in between Uranus and Saturn in size, and is a medium blue (#36a) with lighter blue (#7ca3d8) banded clouds. It has a faint and thin set of rings.

Data

Axial tilt
20°
Diameter
68,000 km
Distance
K1V star: 1.49 AU (222,900,827 km)
Temperature
190 K
Year length
K1V star: 1.81 Earth years = 663.8 Earth days orbit equivalent

Sardonyx

The fourth planet of the Topaz system. It is a Class I ammonia cloud Jovian gas giant. It is a little larger than Saturn, has noticeable rings and its cloud bands are shades of tan in color (#a98047, #c3a171, #d7c1a1).

Data

Axial tilt
18°
Diameter
134,000 km;
Distance
K1V star: 3.23 AU (483,201,122 km)
Temperature
118 K
Year length
K1V star: 5.8 Earth years = 2118.8 Earth days orbit equivalent

Selena Flores

Hispanic female astrobiologist who works for NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Literal meaning of her name: “Moon Flower.”

Biographical information

Born
1972
Eye color
Dark brown
Hair color
Dark brown
Skin color
Medium brown
Religion/beliefs
Agnostic

Sequin

A thin metal disk used by the native aliens as a form of token for exchanging and tracking goods. A sequin has a hole in its center to enable it to be strung together with others. It is a fingerwidth (2.1 cm) wide.

There are four metal colors, in order from highest to lowest:

  1. Gold: octagonal shape, equals eight rose golds
  2. Rose gold: hexagonal shape, equals eight silvers
  3. Silver: square shape, equals eight coppers
  4. Copper: circle shape, lowest denomination
Sequins

Sergei Konstantinov

Сергей Александрович Константинов was born in Russia – then the USSR – in the Moscow district. After graduating school he joined the Russian Air Force and became a Class 1 Air Force pilot. Aircraft flown: Yak-52, L-29, L-39, MiG-31, MiG-29 and Su-27; logged over 600 hours of flight time. He is a qualified parachute instructor (over 200 jumps). Sergei’s Russian Air Force rank at the time of the story is “Major.”

He was selected as a test-cosmonaut candidate of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Office on 28 July 1997 (1997 Air Force group). Sergei is a qualified Soyuz commander-pilot (his flight callsign is “Нептун, Neptune”) and has had one 6-month tour (“Expedition”) on the International Space Station along with Yuri Zolotyov.

He enjoys flying, parachuting, running, athletics, photography, astronomy, reading (mainly science-fiction and fantasy books and movies). His elderly parents live in the suburb of Korolyov (formerly Leningrad), Moscow, in the State-provided apartment where Sergei grew up.

Rather shy, moody and reticent in personality. He is an only child and has not married. He is of mixed ethnicity (Slavic/Central Asian); his eyes are Asiatic/epicanthic in shape as he had a grandmother from Central Asia.

Biographical information

Born
1970
Eye color
Hazel-green (mostly green with a little brown) – epicanthic in shape
Hair color
Black, straight (Asian-type hair) – worn in short military cut
Height
5 feet 10 inches (177.8 cm/1.77 meters)
Marital status
Single
Physique
Thin, fit
Skin color
Light golden-brown (Asian-type tone)
Weight
60 kg – fit-but-lean build (BMI of 18)
Religion/beliefs
Agnostic

The Octet

Eight multi-billionaires, including Darius Tiley, who have formed a secretive cabal to fund Project LISSA.

The American billionaire entrepreneur was one of a secretive collaboration of eight like-minded business people who were spaceflight enthusiasts, transhumanists and libertarians. Their vast collective wealth enabled them to employ the brightest specialists in developing the various technologies necessary in enabling humans to leave Earth.

They had a collective disdain for much of humanity – and certainly the cumbersome governmental systems in charge of a society that was enduring various forms of social and environmental collapse – so they were determined to go their own way with this ambition, legally or otherwise, and would keep it secret.

– Story chapter: “Dream”

Topaz

A K1V-class Star around which Amber orbits. Designated 107 Piscium by humans, it is 24.57 light years away from Earth.

Star comparisons
Class Temperature in degrees Kelvin Visual Luminosity Mass (mass of our sun = 1) Radius (radius of Sun=1) Terrestrial Equivalent Orbit in AUs Lifetime in billions of years
K1V (ffedcf) 5080 .28 .766 .788 .61 (91,254,701.127 km) long
107 Piscium (K1V) (ffe0bc / ffedcf) 5172 .46 .86 .82 (570,999 km) .61 6.3
G2 (our Sun, for comparison) (fff5ec) 5860 .97 .998 1.020 (696,340 km) 1.05 10.100
Plant pigment color reference for K1V star
Element Hex number
Star/sun ffe0bc / ffedcf
Peak frequency and color ffff00
Chlorophyll 3F6A03
Bacteriohospin 6410A1
Carotenes DB0000
Phycoethrin A91329
Phycocyanin 214A33
Pheophytin 2B4534
Melanin 6D663E
Amber color gradient strip, K1V star

References

Yuri Zolotyov

Юрий Леонидович Золотёв was raised in a Moscow State orphanage during the Soviet era. He was a world-class gymnast who competed in the Olympics before joining NPO Energiya as an engineer. He was accepted as a cosmonaut-candidate in the 1996 Civilian Engineer group. He has flown on one Expedition Crew to the International Space Station along with his long-time friend Sergei Konstantinov.

He enjoys gymnastics, running, winter sports, computers, mechanical tinkering. He is single. He is exuberant in personality though inclined to bouts of moodiness, much more extroverted than Sergei.

Biographical information

Born
1972
Height
5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters)
Weight
56 kg; muscular build
Hair color
pale blond
Eye color
icy blue
Religion/beliefs
Atheist

2:34 PM Saturday, 18 November 2023