I started planning a novel once but the plot became a bit convoluted as it progressed.

It's years in the future and the manned spaceflight program has taken a devastating hit when a hugely expensive mission has ended in lethal tragedy and public opinion forces the end of all funding for further exploration.

Scientific studies have also concluded that high velocity travel across the universe will never be achieved because of real problems with the inability to deal with collisions from small debris.

An enterprising man, sensing that man's need for discovery has commercial value, creates the ultimate space flight simulator for the very rich. All aspects of true flight are simulated exactly including everything from high-G liftoffs to anti-gravity. (Participants are on a diet high in a special magnetic compound that can be acted upon by high powered magnets housed around the simulation that counteract the Earth's gravity.)

The kicker comes in when crews begin dying for unexplained reasons and, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that the device is more than just a simulation, that the deaths are from the actual hazards of space travel including alien encounters. Seems the entrepreneur is more than he seems.

That's as far as I got because I'm basically a flake and procrastinator and it seemed there were some glaring holes in the storyline. I'm sure I could've figured out how to address them but it seemed like real work. Plus, a new novel about political intrigue that was much more believable starting forming in my head.

Art