In the novel Consider Phlebas by Ian M. Banks the crew land the space shuttle on the megaship Olmedreca which is on the orbital Vavatch. “One of the crew, having missed the part of the briefing about anti-gravity gear not working on an Orbital, takes an overexcited flying leap off a high spot and promptly falls to his instant death.” (from TOR.COM ‘The Culture Reread: No More Mr. Nice Guy’ by Karin L Kross Mar 13 2018.

 

I was rereading the book and thought that part didn’t seem quite right. I really enjoy the book and have read it many times. But each time I came away with more questions about that section.

 

To paraphrase Billy Joel I may be wrong but I may be right, so...

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Image - Hill (wikipedia:it:Utente:Hill) - own work, (not derivative from nothing)

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Click here for a PDF file with my very detailed thoughts on the lack of gravity on a spinning orbital, and why Lenipodra would not die (here).

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Click here for a crude Youtube depiction of a spaceship an astronaut and an orbital spinning in gravity free space.

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For further reading about Vavatch see the Wkipedia.