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  • Will Future Craft Have Windows?

    From Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?=@ldo@nz.invalid to rec.arts.sf.science on Sat Nov 1 07:58:35 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.science

    So NASA is using its X-59 research craft to explore the resurrection
    of supersonic commercial flight <https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/nasa-test-flight-seeks-to-help-bring-commercial-supersonic-travel-back/>.

    One of the interesting features of this is, the nose is so pointy (to
    reduce the noise of sonic booms) that a glass cockpit would be very
    difficult to see out of. So instead there is a video camera connected
    to a 4K-resolution monitor in front of the pilot.

    It seems to me, this kind of thing could be useful in spacecraft, too.
    Glass adds a lot of weight to a spaceship hull. We have had 3D TVs and
    monitors in the past, now mostly defunct, I think. But the technology
    could be resurrected to give a better illusion of an actual window.

    It also shows how actual technology is more and more parting ways with
    certain traditional SF memes, that date from movie/TV shows from
    decades ago, but that their fans cannot seem to let go of.
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  • From Ignatios Souvatzis@u502sou@bnhb484.de to rec.arts.sf.science on Sun Nov 16 10:06:09 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.science

    Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:
    ...
    One of the interesting features of this is, the nose is so pointy (to
    reduce the noise of sonic booms) that a glass cockpit would be very
    difficult to see out of. So instead there is a video camera connected
    to a 4K-resolution monitor in front of the pilot.

    It seems to me, this kind of thing could be useful in spacecraft, too.
    Glass adds a lot of weight to a spaceship hull. We have had 3D TVs and monitors in the past, now mostly defunct, I think. But the technology
    could be resurrected to give a better illusion of an actual window.

    It also shows how actual technology is more and more parting ways with certain traditional SF memes, that date from movie/TV shows from
    decades ago, but that their fans cannot seem to let go of.

    Ahem. Just using a monitor showing either external cams or video calls
    on the bridge was a very central feature in ST:TOS. Nearly 60 years ago.

    -is
    --
    A medium apple... weighs 182 grams, yields 95 kcal, and contains no
    caffeine, thus making it unsuitable for sysadmins. - Brian Kantor
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  • From Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?=@ldo@nz.invalid to rec.arts.sf.science on Fri Jan 9 07:11:37 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.science

    On 16 Nov 2025 10:06:09 GMT, Ignatios Souvatzis wrote:

    Just using a monitor showing either external cams or video calls on
    the bridge was a very central feature in ST:TOS. Nearly 60 years
    ago.

    Yeah, it was odd to see the starship in rCLStar TrekrCY have windows
    everywhere ... except on the bridge.
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