Prometheus/Juggernaut Weapons..

The absence of external weapons on the [i]Prometheus[/i] is very very simple to explain. I'll let you think about that one for a while, because it's really not that hard. The absence of external weapons on the Juggernaut, however, is a different kettle of fish. I presume that if such a super-advanced ship were to have weapons, they would be hidden deep within its structure, and would bear little resemblance to our notion of weapons. We probably wouldn't even know what we were looking at. But... it was downed quite effectively by the [i]Prometheus[/i], albeit in the form of a nuclear explosion, which does make me wonder. Deep space meteoroids would surely present a similar hazard to the Engineers, so why is there apparently no defence against impactors? Maybe the Engineers regard such hazards as being unimportant or insignificant. Maybe they are masters of all they see and live fearless lives.

The hull of the juggernaut appeared to be completely untouched by the collision, it remained intact.

"..they would be hidden deep within its structure, and would bear little resemblance to our notion .." ...I guess it would be like a caveman attacking a Stealth Bomber.. Although not a weapon..the revolvolving Pometheus radar system seemed outdated on this futuristic spaceship. Just comparring the outer surfaces of the Prometheus and Juggernaut..shows a different development cycle.. As far as the first part of your comments,,well..I am still thinking..

The revolving radar, or sweeping air/surface-search radar, the Prometheus utilized after landing was great to see. Aegis radar systems may be able to track satelites, & engage multiple targets at once, but one still needs a trusty little Furuno surface search radar to sweep 2-10 miles to keep from running into other ships & navigational hazards. The Prometheus's radar could also have been the radar that provided the data link between the ship & the pups that were mapping the Pyramind, as well as keeping an eye out for enemy ships air or surface-borne? That radar will not be improved upon much more unless we create new properties for the behavior of electricity!

It's clear that the [i]Prometheus[/i] was capable of a round trip, so I wouldn't say that anyone was doomed as such. Other than Weyland, who was drinking in the Last Chance Saloon and put all his faith in Shaw's theory, which [i]had[/i] to be correct for him to survive. I'd just reiterate that their outcome was very different to that which they expected, and there's no conceivable way that space weapons would have helped them.

"..provided the data link between the ship & the pups that were mapping the Pyramind,.." Could the 360 degree radar sweep be adjusted, to be stationary(provide a continous data link)..or limited sweep 45 degrees or so?

They can sweep 360 degrees & still provide a continuous data link for communications, as well as other electronic information for the ships's computer.

OK, Indy John, here it is... The trillion dollar mission had one purpose, and one purpose only: In the last few breaths of life available to Weyland, deliver him to his makers in order that he may be "saved". i.e. granted a lease of life. He is such a narcissist that he couldn't give a damn about any other outcome. When they set off, they were expecting to find a race of advanced benevolent creatures who would be pleased that their 'invitation' had been taken up. No space lasers required for that outcome. If, on the other hand they were to encounter hostiles, no sane person would believe that any human weapons would be of any use. As someone mentioned in another thread, an analogy would be like stone age people meeting a stealth bomber. So, no space lasers required for that outcome. Futile. Further, even in some dream world where they got all that way, encountered and fought off a hostile super race, it was Game Over for Weyland in any case. This was his last shot. He wouldn't have made it back to Earth. Therefore, a [i]Prometheus[/i] bristling with weapons really is not on the cards. If there had been such weapons, it would have been a big movie mistake.

Thanks for explanation.. That would mean all of the others on the ship were essentially doomed(I am thinking of several stories of mass suicides here on Earth..with the doomed folks expecting to meet their maker..so to speak. From Weyland's point of view,,all that you say makes sense...and his Faith in David was complete..especially he had a hand in his programing.. But he didn't make this mmission happen by himself..others in the Company must have also saw the risks...if only to include a back up David!

sorry to reply so late to this thread but i was reading about how the engineers didnt appear to be armed and i thought about the ship. Ridley Scott described it as some sort of bomber and that the vials of black goo would be the bombs but you would have weapons attached to stop the enemy from shooting you down, unless the entire ship is the bomb. the promethus didnt do much damage but flying into a planet at full speed would probally create an impact creater and throw the black goo up into the planets atmosphere. the black goo can infect life forms who inhail it.

Not only that but if the ampules filled with goo were bounced around a bit during the collision forget about the atmospheric goo spread what about the stuff being let loose within the Juggernaut. We have already seen how a goo drop can infect a human. When David is rescued by Shaw not a hit of Goo around, Though now i wonder if the inhaled stuff took effect before Shaw dictated her last notes about the Prometheus. In that case .. Look our Paradise!

somehow i dont think Shaw will get into paradise she may still be infected from the black goo they didnt do any medical checks to make sure and the quarntine procedures went out the window. the sequal will be a bit short though if Shaw and David got shot down before reaching the planet. i get the impression that the engineers have no fear of death and would do something insane like crash the ship into the oceans and disperse the black goo that way. planet wide destruction would take hold faster, like how the sacrfical engineer choose to drink the goo by the waterfall. they had alot of black goo on board for a planet like Earth i mean you only need a cup full to kill us off unless we've got it all wrong.

You are right about the amount of goo(perhaps) in the cargo hold bringing a big change to one planet...but potentially to all planets. If the Juggernaut was programmed to go to earth i wonder if the 'off world' planets/moons would also get the goo treatment. The Weyland Corp. has been terra forming for many years and have visited many, many places in space that bear earthings. Would the Engineers also be able to attack those colonies and complete wipeout the human race?

back in 2000 BC we still though the Earth was flat let alone colonise several planets so this doesnt explain why there is so much goo. unless not all of the vials contain goo but other supplies.