Spacecraft Structure, Part 3

It’s a few years down the line, and the colonists are now well-established. Trade with the homeworld, as well as local factories, mean that they can now afford to specialize a bit. Just a bit, mind you — there’s no reason to build a dedicated tanker and cargo when the same ship can be equipped with modular holds.

Space remains a dangerous place, and the colonies have put in place a sort of “coast guard” organization that uses drones and manned vehicles to patrol the lanes, helping people in trouble and generally troubleshooting problems that arise.

What do they use for this? Well, they are likely to operate far from help or reinforcement, so their ship needs to be adaptable and rugged. This means the ability to refuel in the field, and if possible to consume as little reaction mass as possible to extend their range. So we add more vernier booms — they cost in overall mass, but can be used to modify orientation for very little or no fuel, and if we use them as cranes, they earn their keeps in rescue and construction ops. The landing gear is modified so it can move the ship on the ground by itself, which avoid the need for auxiliary transport vehicles or mass-burning powered “hops.” Finally, numerous multi-purpose attachment points (some of them universal, shaped somewhat like hands) are built-in, to hold drop tanks, drones, sensors, etc.

Hmmm… Interesting silhouette, is it not?

Posted by vman at April 25, 2006 10:04 PM