I been kicking around the idea of the technology of Equestria advancing enough for space exploitation (given how it already seem fairly modern). Anyway I have a rough prologue up: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/364994/equestrian-space-age

The basic concept is following the struggle of going into space along with the aftermath caused by it.

Considering that they have spells that control gravity I think that they most likely have less problems reach space that us. Well, maybe not that easy but still...

5812785
I recommend reading Our First Steps if you haven't already. It covers the first rocket launch by Equestria and is one of the better stories on the site, and one of the absolute best of its time.

5812905 5812832 Myself, I prefer to go with the Nightmare Rarity comic and say that magic lets Equestrians get into space really easily. The Moon's Apprentice is one very good story that says you can teleport right into space - and then builds off that. I did something similar in The Moon Has a Harsh Mistress (which I'm thinking of coming back to pretty soon...)

Or, for an excellent portrayal of an in-between course where magic makes things a lot easier but ponies still need to build rocket ships, take a look at The Mare Who Once Lived On the Moon.

5812832

I had planed to only have Celestia and Luna able to survive space with just magic, this keeps them god like. Luna's plan (as far I written it) is for ponykind to reach for stars, even if powerful unicorns could also get into space with magic it wouldn't be on the scale Luna wants.

5813105
It's not like I arguing that they don't need technology for reaching space :). I just pointing that with ability to completely or at least partially negate gravity pull they need less powerful rocket engines to reach orbit.

I can imagine getting from the ground into orbit would be much easier (Pegasi or Unicorns could fulfill the purpose of the first stage used on the Saturn V), but how much magic would still work outside the normal sphere where ponies live is the question. Could Telekinesis work as previously expected where the action/re-action of force is no longer influenced by gravity but by mass? (Unicorn attempts to move big rocket, sends itself flying off?) Could a pegasi 'fly' where there is gravity to act against? (Can move about by using wings for thrust, but cannot use normal magical based flight magic because there is no attractive force to act against?)

As an aside, I do not think Luna/Nightmare Moon was on the moon for a thousand years, but was imprisoned within the moon, as part of its physical form.

5813545

As an aside, I do not think Luna/Nightmare Moon was on the moon for a thousand years, but was imprisoned within the moon, as part of its physical form.

IIRC some of the serial bigwigs said exactly this. That NMM spend thousand years inside moon physical form in some sort of stasis.

5813408
True but other then the alicorns the most powerful unicorns are: Starlight Glimmer, Sunset Shimmer (living in another dimension) and possibly Sunburst. How many unicorns would be able negate gravity even if Equestria puts all its resources on training them? How big of a space program could Equestria hope to build relying on powerful magic? Would one based on technology not be vastly more efficient in logistics? Once they know how to mass produce rockets and capsules, space opens up more as they are not limited by unicorns powerful enough for anti-gravity.

5813684
I'm pretty sure that in Equestria magic are proven scientific field and heavily integrated with their technology. So they don't need to train unicorns to put spells on rockets when they just can develop an anti-gravity device.
But oh well, everyone have their own headcanons...

PS. And IMO Stralight flying not by anti-gravity effect but by pulling Munchausen - she applying her own telekinesis on herself :).

5814335

Flim and Flam's first machine used unicorn magic as the power source (I can see this being useful for space flight, converting magical energy to electricity) yet in a alternate timeline their machine ripping up trees seemed totally powered by combustion given the exhaust pipes and no magic from their horns. Flim and Flam are interested in profit so there had to be economic reasons why they went with relying on what seems similar tech to ours. The show didn't go into why, we only saw that timeline for a short bit, yet I take it that what we seen was what would happen if Flim and Flam continued to introduce mechanization on their term. If it was easy to simply apply the principle of magic to technology I would assume Flim and Flam would have done it in that timeline.

Though I do admit in canon we have no explanation how magic and physics interacts and powerful magic has broken physics beyond recognition. When Twilight got the powers of Luna, Celestia and Cadence and tried moving the sun and moon what happened was physically impossible, it would have basically destroyed their solar system if physics was allowed to work. At least with Luna and Celestia you could argue they are careful when moving them but we clearly see Twilight tossing their sun around. If physics were working then the planets would drastically change their orbit to the point they could collide with each other or reach escape velocity of the solar system.

5814609

Flim and Flam's first machine used unicorn magic as the power source

Way back in first season Faust said that any relatively advanced thing that you see in the show work on unicorn magic. But of course lots of things change since she left the show...
And pony tech level pretty shizo anyway. They have electronics, modern looking floodlight, smoke machine, radio mics (Coloratura episode) and modern security radio sets but don't have TV or radio. They have some sort of compact engines, internal combustion or electric, that we see in "The Cart Before the Ponies" but for some reasons they don't use it for anything else other that carts. And so on, so on.
Actually considering that Shatner join MLP cast I won't be terrible surprised if Equestria already have some sort of space program :).

When Twilight got the powers of Luna, Celestia and Cadence and tried moving the sun and moon what happened was physically impossible, it would have basically destroyed their solar system if physics was allowed to work

There been a theory that pony-Earth have two suns: main sun that either a star with really low luminosity (a neutron star, white dwarf, something like this) or pony-Earth located at a large distance from it (kinda like our Pluto) so from pony point of view it's just a tiny dot. This sun sit at the center of their solar system. And second tiny star that orbiting pony planet and that Celestia control.
Of course their is also a theory that Celestia and Luna control planet spin instead of actual sun and moon.

5814626

Way back in first season Faust said that any relatively advanced thing that you see in the show work on unicorn magic. But of course lots of things change since she left the show...

Back in season 1 that was plausible, by season 2 contradictions to this started to appear. In The Mysterious Mare Do Well Ponyville has a electric dam, why would they produce electricity if everything works on magic? Since then we seen more bits of modern technology.

And pony tech level pretty shizo anyway.

It could be explained by the political economy of Equestria caused them to have massive uneven development. There seems to be a aversion to mass production and cottage industries still seems to be the bulk of the economy. When Sassy Sandals suggested producing Rarity's dress on a industrial scale, Rarity was horrified even though Sassy Sandals motives seemed to be simply mass production for mass consumption thus ponies seem to still be coming to terms with industrialization.

5814821

Back in season 1 that was plausible, by season 2 contradictions to this started to appear.

Lauren really want to put MLP into medieval times. She even said that back then she pretty much demanded from animators that they only draw low-tech things when they can. Like torches and candles instead of light bulbs, and this is exactly why Royal Guard have spears for a weapons. After she left writers and animator start to put more modern things into show without scrapping medieval theme which lead to current pony shizotech.
And funny thing about that dam. It's like any wires but have Tesla-coils on roof. Ponies find some way to
transmit electricity wireless?

Rarity was horrified

I'm pretty sure that she horrified because for her all her dresses and suits are unique and she more or less prefer to work with each customer individually while Sassy suggest to make same thing again, again and again.
She even ready to scrap Cantrelot boutique entirely (and IIRC she dream of open one in Canterlot for years) because for her the whole idea of making same things in bulk are horrible. So IMO it's less about "ponies seem to still be coming to terms with industrialization" and more like Rarity personal pet peeves.
I think that her working mindset something close to "Every pony are individual and unique and need unique clothes".

5814897

Ponies find some way to transmit electricity wireless?

That would simply raise even more questions, as that would allow their technology to be even more advanced.

I think that her working mindset something close to "Every pony are individual and unique and need unique clothes".

It is not just Rarity, the only time we see a Equestria that is firmly industrialized is the war economy in the alternate time line where they are at war with King Sombra. Even Flim and Flam don't really seem to get industrialization (except in that alternate timeline). They didn't need Sweet Apple Acers, in the industrial world apples are mere commodities, meaning they could have bought apples from all over Equestria, mass produce cider then ship it throughout Equestria yet it seems this idea was alien even to them.

5815174

It is not just Rarity, the only time we see a Equestria that is firmly industrialized is the war economy in the alternate time line where they are at war with King Sombra.

There is one small problem with that logic - they have railroad that seems encompass all their country, they have electric dams even in small village like Ponyville, steel suspension bridge and lots of skyscrapers in Manehattan, and relatively advanced looking city like Las Pegasus. I'm pretty sure that all of this impossible without strong economic and firm industry.

5815223

There is one small problem with that logic - they have railroad that seems encompass all their country,

That the industrial nations on Earth accomplished in the 19th century. Also while we see pony drawn cabs in Manehattan yet we don't see any trams, pony drawn or electric.

they have electric dams even in small village like Ponyville

There is no reason for dams to be in heavily populated areas. This does brings up the issue why the Equestrian railway is not electrified, electric locomotives are vastly more efficient the steam.

steel suspension bridge and lots of skyscrapers in Manehattan, and relatively advanced looking city like Las Pegasus

Yet we don't see all that technology modernizing the Equestrian economy. We don't see any large industry, even extracting rock is done on a farm rather then a quarry with heavy machinery. Take Filthy Rich, he is suppose to be extraordinarily wealthy yet he seems to only dominate Ponyville's retail market. There is no mention of Fitly Rich having stores across Equestria, that suggests Equestria has yet to establish business that stretch across it and beyond into the regional market.

That would simply raise even more questions, as that would allow their technology to be even more advanced.

Legends says that Tesla able to do it way back in the beginning of twenties century. Yes, it's mostly a legend, but MLP in general also a fictional story.

That the industrial nations on Earth accomplished in the 19th century. Also while we see pony drawn cabs in Manehattan yet we don't see any trams, pony drawn or electric.

And this is somehow change the fact that you can't do it without steel industry? You simply can't do it by leaning on village blacksmiths of something like this.
Same for suspension bridge and skyscrapers - you simply can't build them without industry and good logistics. And same, again, with video games that we see in one of episodes - if electronics (or some sort of magic analogue) are extremely rare and valuable no one going to spend it on unimportant things like video games.

Yet we don't see all that technology modernizing the Equestrian economy.

Uh, you do understand that MLP show about close circle of small multicolored horsies that aiming mostly on little girls? Not about Equestria economics or industry? Unless it directly affect the plot you not going to see any industry or anything about economics. And even id they do put it in the show it going to be simplified as hell.

We don't see any large industry,

See above. Unless it relevant to the plot we never see it. Well, maybe a glimpe on the background.

even extracting rock is done on a farm rather then a quarry with heavy machinery.

And I'm pretty sure that it's just a small family business. Same as Apple Farm.

There is no mention of Fitly Rich having stores across Equestria, that suggests Equestria has yet to establish business that stretch across it and beyond into the regional market.

And you for some reason ignore Rarity who have at this point three stores across the country? And no one think that it out of ordinary. Just because Rich don't have stores across country don't automatically means that no one ever have stores across country. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" you know.

But main problems here is that show authors just randomly shove anything that they find funny or neat without even thinking how it would affect pony-world in general. They need toy train to sell? They shove trains into the show. They find funny for Twilight have a mad scientist lab in her basement? And suddenly Twilight have a mad scientist lab in her basement. And so on.

5815388

And this is somehow change the fact that you can't do it without steel industry?

That seems to be part of the uneven development of Equestria. I do agree there is evidence Equestria had developed enough for early industrialization but beyond the technology and economy is erratic. Like I said massive uneven development.

Unless it directly affect the plot you not going to see any industry or anything about economics.

Though they already did. Let's take Flim and Flam, they roll up into Ponyville wanting to sell cider. Why did Flim and Flam care about the Ponyville market? If they are the first with means to mass produce cider, they would have the entire Equestrian market along with its neighbours. If they are not the first then why didn't Rainbow Dash simply buy cider imported into Ponyville?

And you for some reason ignore Rarity who have at this point three stores across the country

How big is Equestria and the bordering nations? Do you realize how big the major department stores were at the late 19th century? Then there is Rarity's aversion of mass production while the major department stores in human history had 500 page catalogues full of consumer goods by 1900 and had the problem of over production rather then scarcity.

Just because Rich don't have stores across country don't automatically means that no one ever have stores across country.

The implication is that even in retail there is a pony richer then Filthy Rich.

But main problems here is that show authors just randomly shove anything that they find funny or neat without even thinking how it would affect pony-world in general

True

5815613

Let's take Flim and Flam, they roll up into Ponyville wanting to sell cider. Why did Flim and Flam care about the Ponyville market?

Because they not buisnesspony, they small-time con-artists.

If they are the first with means to mass produce cider, they would have the entire Equestrian market along with its neighbours.

They, again, just a pair of con-artists. Most likely they just plan to milk Apple Far and Poniville for all they worth and run away.

If they are not the first then why didn't Rainbow Dash simply buy cider imported into Ponyville?

Because it fresh and she like it? I'm also tend to buy a one particular brand of milk that produced near our city. It's fresh, tasty and lack usual bunch of chemicals that factories put in milk for longer preservation. If I can't find it I usually don't buy milk at all because milk imported from other parts of our country often inferior to this brand. But just because I tend to buy this particular brand don't mean that other brands of milk don't exist.
Sorry, but you trying a put an absence of evidences as a evidence of absence.

How big is Equestria and the bordering nations?

No one but show creators know.

Then there is Rarity's aversion of mass production

Rarity aversion to mass production a just an Rarity aversion to mass production. Nothing less and nothing more.

And I'm pretty sure that we never ever going to agree in this cases. So I suggest that we just agree to disagree.
There is also a thing that I suck at writing long post on English. It's kinda tired me out because it's not my native language.

Any thoughts about the story? I have 3 chapters up.