The Science of The Expanse: Season 1, Episode 8

The Expanse is chock full of nifty gadgets, technology and, uh, sexual recreation. But just how realistic is all of it? Let's take a look at all of the future tech in each episode and discuss just how possible it really is.

In Season 1, Episode 8: "Salvage," we head to Tycho Station, where catch the sight of a giant golden statue in the middle of outer space. What is this, a trailer for the next Heavy Metal movie? No, it's part of the Nauvoo, the ship that Fred Johnson's building for the Mormons, the largest spacecraft ever constructed and whose maiden voyage will span over 100 years.

But could a gigantic golden statue actually be built in space? The truth is that we've already discussed the whole mining issue back in Science of The Expanse Episode 6, so we can assume that the mining of resources isn't a problem. Theoretically, this thing could be pure gold, and it wouldnt' have to deal with the structural integrity issues that gravity imposes upon the element. Also, here's another juicy tidbit that lots of sci-fi tends to forget: spaceships don't need to be aerodynamic, unless they're entering an atmosphere. Seeing as this is a generational ship, this statue is going to spend centuries without any atmosphere to deal with, and then if the Mormons finally do find an hospitable planet, it will be broken down by the atmosphere itself in a blaze of manifest destiny.