Why would a previously spacefaring civilization become unable to build another interstellar ship?












2














I'm writing a story in which a civilization previously capable of (firmly technobabble-based) FTL travel has become stranded, orbiting an isolated star with no rocky planets. (There was a planet, but it was destroyed by their crash-landing in the star system.) The civilization is comfortably capable of forging an existence in artificial habitats orbiting their new star, but for the plot to function, it must be prohibitively difficult for them to leave the star system (to return home, or colonize elsewhere).



Their best chance would be to get their hands on an already-constructed FTL travel device, but I'm having trouble constructing a convincing (within-universe) reason why they couldn't simply build a new one from stuff they have at hand.










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  • Hint: read why we can't land on our Moon anymore.
    – Mołot
    1 hour ago










  • Welcome to worldbuilding. Please take the tour and visit the help center to make yourself familiar with our community and its standard.
    – L.Dutch
    1 hour ago
















2














I'm writing a story in which a civilization previously capable of (firmly technobabble-based) FTL travel has become stranded, orbiting an isolated star with no rocky planets. (There was a planet, but it was destroyed by their crash-landing in the star system.) The civilization is comfortably capable of forging an existence in artificial habitats orbiting their new star, but for the plot to function, it must be prohibitively difficult for them to leave the star system (to return home, or colonize elsewhere).



Their best chance would be to get their hands on an already-constructed FTL travel device, but I'm having trouble constructing a convincing (within-universe) reason why they couldn't simply build a new one from stuff they have at hand.










share|improve this question







New contributor




Olle is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




















  • Hint: read why we can't land on our Moon anymore.
    – Mołot
    1 hour ago










  • Welcome to worldbuilding. Please take the tour and visit the help center to make yourself familiar with our community and its standard.
    – L.Dutch
    1 hour ago














2












2








2







I'm writing a story in which a civilization previously capable of (firmly technobabble-based) FTL travel has become stranded, orbiting an isolated star with no rocky planets. (There was a planet, but it was destroyed by their crash-landing in the star system.) The civilization is comfortably capable of forging an existence in artificial habitats orbiting their new star, but for the plot to function, it must be prohibitively difficult for them to leave the star system (to return home, or colonize elsewhere).



Their best chance would be to get their hands on an already-constructed FTL travel device, but I'm having trouble constructing a convincing (within-universe) reason why they couldn't simply build a new one from stuff they have at hand.










share|improve this question







New contributor




Olle is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I'm writing a story in which a civilization previously capable of (firmly technobabble-based) FTL travel has become stranded, orbiting an isolated star with no rocky planets. (There was a planet, but it was destroyed by their crash-landing in the star system.) The civilization is comfortably capable of forging an existence in artificial habitats orbiting their new star, but for the plot to function, it must be prohibitively difficult for them to leave the star system (to return home, or colonize elsewhere).



Their best chance would be to get their hands on an already-constructed FTL travel device, but I'm having trouble constructing a convincing (within-universe) reason why they couldn't simply build a new one from stuff they have at hand.







space space-travel space-colonization






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share|improve this question







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asked 1 hour ago









Olle

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  • Hint: read why we can't land on our Moon anymore.
    – Mołot
    1 hour ago










  • Welcome to worldbuilding. Please take the tour and visit the help center to make yourself familiar with our community and its standard.
    – L.Dutch
    1 hour ago


















  • Hint: read why we can't land on our Moon anymore.
    – Mołot
    1 hour ago










  • Welcome to worldbuilding. Please take the tour and visit the help center to make yourself familiar with our community and its standard.
    – L.Dutch
    1 hour ago
















Hint: read why we can't land on our Moon anymore.
– Mołot
1 hour ago




Hint: read why we can't land on our Moon anymore.
– Mołot
1 hour ago












Welcome to worldbuilding. Please take the tour and visit the help center to make yourself familiar with our community and its standard.
– L.Dutch
1 hour ago




Welcome to worldbuilding. Please take the tour and visit the help center to make yourself familiar with our community and its standard.
– L.Dutch
1 hour ago










6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes


















4














The simplest way is probably to leave them with a shortage of unobtainium. A substance named for obvious reasons, that happens to be required for the production of FTL drives.



Perhaps the limited quantity they had in their existing drive was destroyed (causing the accident) or dispersed in the accident. Either way, they're now limited to space habitats and STL drive until such time as they can come into possession of more unobtainium.






share|improve this answer































    1














    It costs a lot of money and they lack the political will to use all those resources for that scope.



    See what happened with the Apollo program. As long as USSR was leading the space race the US Congress was scared by the enemy supremacy and had no troubles providing funding to the program.



    Once the Moon was reached more than once and public attention lowered, together with the manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result, suddenly the budget was limited and even scheduled launches were canceled.






    share|improve this answer





















    • [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
      – Rekesoft
      48 mins ago










    • @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
      – L.Dutch
      46 mins ago










    • @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
      – Rekesoft
      44 mins ago



















    1














    Their ship and her payload were designed as a colony expedition. They had not just asteroid mining craft, and seeds for hydroponics, and modular habitat sections, they also had the blueprints and machine tools to replicate them. And they had the engineers to read the blueprints and use the tools.



    For the stardrive, they had just the operators' maintenance handbook, and pilots and engineers trained to operate it.



    Consider: You are obviously able to use a computer, like billions of people worldwide. And there are many millions who can program a simple website. But how many can design a microchip, or manufacture one? A programmer would know about silicon wafers, and doping it with other elements, but how many can explain the physics behind that?



    So the colony would have to replicate a R&D project. They get a head start because they know it is possible, and also the principles how it works. This is balanced by the need to build the colony as planned. They know that they have a fleet of sublight ships, and that these sublight ships will wear out, and that they should start assembling the shipyard to build new sublight ships.






    share|improve this answer





























      0














      They were never able to construct FTL drives - they got them from a forerunner factory that was still intact, which they had discovered during their own early steps into space.



      (Or they purchased the FTL drive from extant aliens, or FTL tech is a particular company's closely guarded secret, etc...)






      share|improve this answer





























        0














        Perhaps they have tried to create a new FTL drive from remains of their old one, and it backfired so much - risked so many lives, nearly tore through the ship, messed up with their resources, etc - and leaves barely anything of the attempt that the rest simply say 'it's not worth it' and stop any further pooling of resources into making one.






        share|improve this answer





























          0














          When they crash-landed in the new star system, the scientists and technicians who were knowledgeable and part of producing FTL died, the computers and backups containing information on how to build/rebuild the equipment were also destroyed.



          The remaining scientists and technicians have little knowledge of physics involved to produce FTL engine, and they were not property trained.



          It was unfortunate for the scientists and technicians to die. There was a malfunction in the ship they were in when exiting FTL, sending the ship crashing down to the planet.





          share





















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            6 Answers
            6






            active

            oldest

            votes








            6 Answers
            6






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            4














            The simplest way is probably to leave them with a shortage of unobtainium. A substance named for obvious reasons, that happens to be required for the production of FTL drives.



            Perhaps the limited quantity they had in their existing drive was destroyed (causing the accident) or dispersed in the accident. Either way, they're now limited to space habitats and STL drive until such time as they can come into possession of more unobtainium.






            share|improve this answer




























              4














              The simplest way is probably to leave them with a shortage of unobtainium. A substance named for obvious reasons, that happens to be required for the production of FTL drives.



              Perhaps the limited quantity they had in their existing drive was destroyed (causing the accident) or dispersed in the accident. Either way, they're now limited to space habitats and STL drive until such time as they can come into possession of more unobtainium.






              share|improve this answer


























                4












                4








                4






                The simplest way is probably to leave them with a shortage of unobtainium. A substance named for obvious reasons, that happens to be required for the production of FTL drives.



                Perhaps the limited quantity they had in their existing drive was destroyed (causing the accident) or dispersed in the accident. Either way, they're now limited to space habitats and STL drive until such time as they can come into possession of more unobtainium.






                share|improve this answer














                The simplest way is probably to leave them with a shortage of unobtainium. A substance named for obvious reasons, that happens to be required for the production of FTL drives.



                Perhaps the limited quantity they had in their existing drive was destroyed (causing the accident) or dispersed in the accident. Either way, they're now limited to space habitats and STL drive until such time as they can come into possession of more unobtainium.







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited 1 hour ago

























                answered 1 hour ago









                Separatrix

                77.3k30181305




                77.3k30181305























                    1














                    It costs a lot of money and they lack the political will to use all those resources for that scope.



                    See what happened with the Apollo program. As long as USSR was leading the space race the US Congress was scared by the enemy supremacy and had no troubles providing funding to the program.



                    Once the Moon was reached more than once and public attention lowered, together with the manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result, suddenly the budget was limited and even scheduled launches were canceled.






                    share|improve this answer





















                    • [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
                      – Rekesoft
                      48 mins ago










                    • @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
                      – L.Dutch
                      46 mins ago










                    • @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
                      – Rekesoft
                      44 mins ago
















                    1














                    It costs a lot of money and they lack the political will to use all those resources for that scope.



                    See what happened with the Apollo program. As long as USSR was leading the space race the US Congress was scared by the enemy supremacy and had no troubles providing funding to the program.



                    Once the Moon was reached more than once and public attention lowered, together with the manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result, suddenly the budget was limited and even scheduled launches were canceled.






                    share|improve this answer





















                    • [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
                      – Rekesoft
                      48 mins ago










                    • @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
                      – L.Dutch
                      46 mins ago










                    • @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
                      – Rekesoft
                      44 mins ago














                    1












                    1








                    1






                    It costs a lot of money and they lack the political will to use all those resources for that scope.



                    See what happened with the Apollo program. As long as USSR was leading the space race the US Congress was scared by the enemy supremacy and had no troubles providing funding to the program.



                    Once the Moon was reached more than once and public attention lowered, together with the manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result, suddenly the budget was limited and even scheduled launches were canceled.






                    share|improve this answer












                    It costs a lot of money and they lack the political will to use all those resources for that scope.



                    See what happened with the Apollo program. As long as USSR was leading the space race the US Congress was scared by the enemy supremacy and had no troubles providing funding to the program.



                    Once the Moon was reached more than once and public attention lowered, together with the manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result, suddenly the budget was limited and even scheduled launches were canceled.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 1 hour ago









                    L.Dutch

                    77.2k25184375




                    77.2k25184375












                    • [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
                      – Rekesoft
                      48 mins ago










                    • @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
                      – L.Dutch
                      46 mins ago










                    • @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
                      – Rekesoft
                      44 mins ago


















                    • [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
                      – Rekesoft
                      48 mins ago










                    • @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
                      – L.Dutch
                      46 mins ago










                    • @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
                      – Rekesoft
                      44 mins ago
















                    [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
                    – Rekesoft
                    48 mins ago




                    [...]manifest incapacity of the Soviet space program to replicate the result I don't think that was ever the case. The race to the Moon was a race, and there were no medals for second place. The soviets could have insisted on their N1 rocket, or build another one. They simply didn't try anymore. Instead, they focused on winning the USA in other fields, such as space habitats.
                    – Rekesoft
                    48 mins ago












                    @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
                    – L.Dutch
                    46 mins ago




                    @Rekesoft, exactly. USA have been on the Moon multiple times and USSR never did it (N1 failures were secret to general public), so why keep fighting a non existing enemy?
                    – L.Dutch
                    46 mins ago












                    @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
                    – Rekesoft
                    44 mins ago




                    @LDutch I don't know, but the whole Cold War point was keep on fighting a non-existing enemy, so why stop there if they hadn't stopped anywhere else?
                    – Rekesoft
                    44 mins ago











                    1














                    Their ship and her payload were designed as a colony expedition. They had not just asteroid mining craft, and seeds for hydroponics, and modular habitat sections, they also had the blueprints and machine tools to replicate them. And they had the engineers to read the blueprints and use the tools.



                    For the stardrive, they had just the operators' maintenance handbook, and pilots and engineers trained to operate it.



                    Consider: You are obviously able to use a computer, like billions of people worldwide. And there are many millions who can program a simple website. But how many can design a microchip, or manufacture one? A programmer would know about silicon wafers, and doping it with other elements, but how many can explain the physics behind that?



                    So the colony would have to replicate a R&D project. They get a head start because they know it is possible, and also the principles how it works. This is balanced by the need to build the colony as planned. They know that they have a fleet of sublight ships, and that these sublight ships will wear out, and that they should start assembling the shipyard to build new sublight ships.






                    share|improve this answer


























                      1














                      Their ship and her payload were designed as a colony expedition. They had not just asteroid mining craft, and seeds for hydroponics, and modular habitat sections, they also had the blueprints and machine tools to replicate them. And they had the engineers to read the blueprints and use the tools.



                      For the stardrive, they had just the operators' maintenance handbook, and pilots and engineers trained to operate it.



                      Consider: You are obviously able to use a computer, like billions of people worldwide. And there are many millions who can program a simple website. But how many can design a microchip, or manufacture one? A programmer would know about silicon wafers, and doping it with other elements, but how many can explain the physics behind that?



                      So the colony would have to replicate a R&D project. They get a head start because they know it is possible, and also the principles how it works. This is balanced by the need to build the colony as planned. They know that they have a fleet of sublight ships, and that these sublight ships will wear out, and that they should start assembling the shipyard to build new sublight ships.






                      share|improve this answer
























                        1












                        1








                        1






                        Their ship and her payload were designed as a colony expedition. They had not just asteroid mining craft, and seeds for hydroponics, and modular habitat sections, they also had the blueprints and machine tools to replicate them. And they had the engineers to read the blueprints and use the tools.



                        For the stardrive, they had just the operators' maintenance handbook, and pilots and engineers trained to operate it.



                        Consider: You are obviously able to use a computer, like billions of people worldwide. And there are many millions who can program a simple website. But how many can design a microchip, or manufacture one? A programmer would know about silicon wafers, and doping it with other elements, but how many can explain the physics behind that?



                        So the colony would have to replicate a R&D project. They get a head start because they know it is possible, and also the principles how it works. This is balanced by the need to build the colony as planned. They know that they have a fleet of sublight ships, and that these sublight ships will wear out, and that they should start assembling the shipyard to build new sublight ships.






                        share|improve this answer












                        Their ship and her payload were designed as a colony expedition. They had not just asteroid mining craft, and seeds for hydroponics, and modular habitat sections, they also had the blueprints and machine tools to replicate them. And they had the engineers to read the blueprints and use the tools.



                        For the stardrive, they had just the operators' maintenance handbook, and pilots and engineers trained to operate it.



                        Consider: You are obviously able to use a computer, like billions of people worldwide. And there are many millions who can program a simple website. But how many can design a microchip, or manufacture one? A programmer would know about silicon wafers, and doping it with other elements, but how many can explain the physics behind that?



                        So the colony would have to replicate a R&D project. They get a head start because they know it is possible, and also the principles how it works. This is balanced by the need to build the colony as planned. They know that they have a fleet of sublight ships, and that these sublight ships will wear out, and that they should start assembling the shipyard to build new sublight ships.







                        share|improve this answer












                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer










                        answered 13 mins ago









                        o.m.

                        58.3k683194




                        58.3k683194























                            0














                            They were never able to construct FTL drives - they got them from a forerunner factory that was still intact, which they had discovered during their own early steps into space.



                            (Or they purchased the FTL drive from extant aliens, or FTL tech is a particular company's closely guarded secret, etc...)






                            share|improve this answer


























                              0














                              They were never able to construct FTL drives - they got them from a forerunner factory that was still intact, which they had discovered during their own early steps into space.



                              (Or they purchased the FTL drive from extant aliens, or FTL tech is a particular company's closely guarded secret, etc...)






                              share|improve this answer
























                                0












                                0








                                0






                                They were never able to construct FTL drives - they got them from a forerunner factory that was still intact, which they had discovered during their own early steps into space.



                                (Or they purchased the FTL drive from extant aliens, or FTL tech is a particular company's closely guarded secret, etc...)






                                share|improve this answer












                                They were never able to construct FTL drives - they got them from a forerunner factory that was still intact, which they had discovered during their own early steps into space.



                                (Or they purchased the FTL drive from extant aliens, or FTL tech is a particular company's closely guarded secret, etc...)







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered 1 hour ago









                                Jedediah

                                1,739212




                                1,739212























                                    0














                                    Perhaps they have tried to create a new FTL drive from remains of their old one, and it backfired so much - risked so many lives, nearly tore through the ship, messed up with their resources, etc - and leaves barely anything of the attempt that the rest simply say 'it's not worth it' and stop any further pooling of resources into making one.






                                    share|improve this answer


























                                      0














                                      Perhaps they have tried to create a new FTL drive from remains of their old one, and it backfired so much - risked so many lives, nearly tore through the ship, messed up with their resources, etc - and leaves barely anything of the attempt that the rest simply say 'it's not worth it' and stop any further pooling of resources into making one.






                                      share|improve this answer
























                                        0












                                        0








                                        0






                                        Perhaps they have tried to create a new FTL drive from remains of their old one, and it backfired so much - risked so many lives, nearly tore through the ship, messed up with their resources, etc - and leaves barely anything of the attempt that the rest simply say 'it's not worth it' and stop any further pooling of resources into making one.






                                        share|improve this answer












                                        Perhaps they have tried to create a new FTL drive from remains of their old one, and it backfired so much - risked so many lives, nearly tore through the ship, messed up with their resources, etc - and leaves barely anything of the attempt that the rest simply say 'it's not worth it' and stop any further pooling of resources into making one.







                                        share|improve this answer












                                        share|improve this answer



                                        share|improve this answer










                                        answered 29 mins ago









                                        bigchickcannibalistic

                                        745




                                        745























                                            0














                                            When they crash-landed in the new star system, the scientists and technicians who were knowledgeable and part of producing FTL died, the computers and backups containing information on how to build/rebuild the equipment were also destroyed.



                                            The remaining scientists and technicians have little knowledge of physics involved to produce FTL engine, and they were not property trained.



                                            It was unfortunate for the scientists and technicians to die. There was a malfunction in the ship they were in when exiting FTL, sending the ship crashing down to the planet.





                                            share


























                                              0














                                              When they crash-landed in the new star system, the scientists and technicians who were knowledgeable and part of producing FTL died, the computers and backups containing information on how to build/rebuild the equipment were also destroyed.



                                              The remaining scientists and technicians have little knowledge of physics involved to produce FTL engine, and they were not property trained.



                                              It was unfortunate for the scientists and technicians to die. There was a malfunction in the ship they were in when exiting FTL, sending the ship crashing down to the planet.





                                              share
























                                                0












                                                0








                                                0






                                                When they crash-landed in the new star system, the scientists and technicians who were knowledgeable and part of producing FTL died, the computers and backups containing information on how to build/rebuild the equipment were also destroyed.



                                                The remaining scientists and technicians have little knowledge of physics involved to produce FTL engine, and they were not property trained.



                                                It was unfortunate for the scientists and technicians to die. There was a malfunction in the ship they were in when exiting FTL, sending the ship crashing down to the planet.





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                                                When they crash-landed in the new star system, the scientists and technicians who were knowledgeable and part of producing FTL died, the computers and backups containing information on how to build/rebuild the equipment were also destroyed.



                                                The remaining scientists and technicians have little knowledge of physics involved to produce FTL engine, and they were not property trained.



                                                It was unfortunate for the scientists and technicians to die. There was a malfunction in the ship they were in when exiting FTL, sending the ship crashing down to the planet.






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                                                answered 9 mins ago









                                                Reddy Lutonadio

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