Why Retrofit a 254-Year-Old Battleship for Space Travel?
By Rikao Yanagita, Chief Researcher at the Dream-Science Laboratory
Published October 6 2024 by Yahoo Japan. See the original post here.
Translated by Anton Mei Brandt
Greetings from the Institute of Fantasy Science! I’m Rikao Yanagita, and I’m here to explore the fantastical concepts found in manga and anime through the lens of, well, not-so-scientific methods.
With the 50th anniversary of Space Battleship Yamato upon us (it first aired on October 6th, 1974), I want to revisit a fundamental question: why was the Battleship Yamato chosen to become a spaceship in the first place?
The story takes place in the year 2199, but the initial attacks on Earth by the Gamilas and their planet bombs began much earlier, in the 2190s. As the assaults continued relentlessly, the oceans dried up, the surface became irradiated, and humanity was forced to seek refuge in underground cities. With the Earth Defense Fleet on the verge of collapse, a message of hope arrives from Starsha of Iscandar, offering a device that can neutralize the radiation.
Along with this message comes a blueprint for a revolutionary technology: the Wave-Motion Engine. The Earth Defense Force decides to install this engine, along with a powerful new weapon known as the Wave-Motion Gun, into a nearly-completed spaceship. This vessel, christened the Space Battleship Yamato, sets sail for Iscandar, marking the beginning of our epic adventure.
Initially, Yamato was designed for a different purpose: emigration. With Earth facing imminent destruction, plans were made to relocate a select few to another planet. This emigration ship was already nearing completion, explaining why the Earth Defense Force could quickly swap out the engine, add the Wave-Motion Gun, and create a vessel capable of withstanding a 296,000 light-year round trip to Iscandar. Talk about good timing!
This brings us back to our initial question: why choose Yamato? The real Battleship Yamato sank in 1945, a staggering 254 years before the events of the anime. To put this into perspective, 254 years before the present day would be 1770. In Japan, Tanuma Okitsugu held sway, implementing his reforms for the Tokugawa Shogunate. Meanwhile, in the West, James Watt was just unveiling his groundbreaking steam engine.
It was the golden age of sailing ships. The HMS Victory, destined to become Admiral Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), had just been completed. It seems absurd to even consider retrofitting a 254-year-old ship for space travel. But perhaps, in the face of the relentless Gamilas onslaught, a desperate Earth had no other choice but to repurpose whatever they could.
Interestingly, the HMS Victory is still on display at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, proving that if we had the technology and the willpower, resurrecting a 254-year-old ship as a spaceship isn’t entirely beyond the realm of possibility.
A One in 36,000 Chance of Boarding
However, when we shift our perspective back to the “emigration spaceship” concept, things become a little more complicated. If we assume the passenger capacity of the original Battleship Yamato, which held 3,333 crew members, and factor in a hypothetical 2199 Japanese population similar to today’s 120 million, then being selected for Yamato would be a one in 36,000 chance. To put it into perspective, out of the 74,000 students enrolled in Japan’s largest university, Nihon University, only two would be chosen. It’s safe to say such a selection process would likely lead to, well, riots.
This raises another question: was using a battleship as an emigration ship the right choice to begin with?
The Battleship Yamato boasted three triple-gun turrets, each weighing a massive 2,779 tons. A simple displacement calculation reveals that removing just one of these turrets could make room for an additional 46,700 passengers! Removing all three would free up space for 140,000 people. Converting Yamato into a dedicated transport ship could have potentially increased its passenger capacity by a staggering 43 times!
Perhaps the Earth Defense Force reasoned that they needed some offensive capabilities, just in case they encountered hostiles. However, since the Gamilas were primarily attacking Earth in search of a new home, escaping humans wouldn’t have posed much of a threat. Wouldn’t it have been more logical to prioritize saving as many lives as possible by removing the turrets and maximizing passenger space?
While this line of thought seems reasonable, it was precisely the decision to retain the Yamato’s firepower that ultimately saved the Earth. Had it been converted into a defenseless transport ship, it likely would have been swiftly defeated by the Gamilas, never reaching Iscandar. Ah, the complexities of life!
And so, as we celebrate half a century of Space Battleship Yamato, we find ourselves contemplating these fascinating “what ifs.” It’s enough to make you appreciate the enduring power of a good space opera!