Binged all 5 seasons of The Expanse in 2 weeks and realized nobody talks enough about how realistic the ship physics are

The way they actually show G-forces and flip-and-burn maneuvers made me go back and rewatch the first episode because I missed so much detail the first time - has anyone else noticed how quickly they drop the artificial gravity trope?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix8452d agoRising Star

Man, I read this whole article about how the show's creators actually consulted with NASA engineers on the flight dynamics, and it really shows. @diana55 you nailed it about the high-G burns, that scene still sticks with me because it felt so raw and real. The way they handle inertia and acceleration without just inventing some magic tech is exactly why this show stands out from everything else out there. I mean, most sci-fi treats gravity like it's optional, but here they actually show the price you pay for moving through space at those speeds.

diana552d ago

Blow my mind how people still think sci-fi needs fake gravity. The Expanse literally shows you the cost of that acceleration with blood vessels popping and people strapped into crash couches. Remember when they had to do that high-G burn to avoid the stealth ship in season 2? Everyone's face looked like they went ten rounds with a heavyweight. And the flip-and-burn thing is just the best. It's like the showrunners actually paid attention in physics class instead of just slapping on a gravity generator and calling it a day. Most shows would have had them walking around sipping coffee during a combat maneuver.