In a science fiction movie, when a spaceship explodes the vibrations from the shock wave destroy a nearby spaceship. If you were the science consultant for the movie what would your advice be for the producer?

Question

In a science fiction movie, when a spaceship explodes the vibrations from the shock wave destroy a nearby spaceship.  If you were the science consultant for the movie what would your advice be for the producer?

Michael Adkins · Accepted Answer

A shockwave is a function of air and so wouldn't be good physics. Debris rushing out from spaceship 1 and destroying spaceship 2 is a much better way, physics-speaking, of destroying spaceship 1

We have a story in which spaceship 1 explodes, and we need spaceship 2, which is positioned nearby, to blow up too. The director wants the shock wave from ship 1's explosion to be the cause. Shockwaves are large, abrupt surges of air, similar to tidal waves of air, and they are a natural byproduct of explosions on Earth where there is an atmosphere. A shockwave cannot exist in space since there is no air there. What might exist, though, is explosion debris; in Earth's gravity and air resistance, fragments from an explosion tend not to travel very far; in space, on the other hand, there is no air resistance and the effects of gravity are very different, so the director could have debris explode out of Spaceship 1 and destroy Spaceship 2 in this manner.

Emilia Acosta · Answer

undefined It's important to make sure that the portrayal of the shock wave's effects is in line with scientific realism while still allowing for creative storytelling. My advice would be to take into consideration the scientific principles behind shock waves and their effects on nearby objects. While a shock wave from an exploding spaceship could potentially cause damage to nearby objects, the extent of the destruction would depend on factors such as distance, the intensity of the explosion, and the structural integrity of the nearby spaceship.