Worldbuilding – Deep Interplanetary Transport

The Caravan Transport carries several hundred people on long-duration, deep interplanetary missions. The transport is pushed by several (4-10) shuttle escorts. These ‘Dagger Skiffs‘ also provide defensive capabilities.

Dagger Skiff‘ Escort/Shuttle Characteristics:
  • Size : 32 m (length) x ~ 14 m (width) x ~ 4m (height)
  • Mass:
    • unfueled: 6,000 kg
    • fully fueled: 17,000 kg
  • Powerplant: h-torch ignited fusion
  • Atmospheric propulsion: Magneto Hydro Dynamic Ionisation Boundary Flow
  • Vacuum propulsion: direct fusion
  • Max acceleration: ~15g (max permissible acceleration with human crew 6g sustained)
  • Defensive systems:
    • Precision Standoff and Point Defense, Directed Energy Weapons
    • Adaptive Directional Magnetic Confinement Plasma Shielding
    • Zeno-cognition active Information Warfare and exploit database

 

‘Caravan Transport’  Characteristics:
  • Size : 200 m (length) x ~ 12 m (width) x ~ 12m (height)Mass:
    • unfueled: 190,000 kg
    • fully fueled: 2,200,000 kg
  • Powerplant: h-torch ignited fusion plant.
  • Propulsion: high specific impulse vacuum ion thruster or coupled with ‘Dagger Skiffs’ for extended and high delta-v mission profiles.
  • Max acceleration:
    • using onboard ion-drive: 0.2 milligees
    • fully fueled and loaded with constellation of 4 ‘dagger-skiffs’: 0.7g
    • typical mission profile: 0.1g
  • Defensive systems:
    • Point Defense Directed Energy Weapons
    • Adaptive Directional Magnetic Confinement Plasma Shielding
    • Zeno-cognition active Information Warfare and exploit database
    • Primary defensive capabilities supplied by ‘dagger-skiff’ escorts

 

The ‘Caravan Transport‘ switches between a thrust-phase and coast-phase configuration. In the thrust-phase, the habitation modules are aligned with the axis of thrust. Acceleration in the range 0f 0.1 – 0.4g provides inertial gravity. In the coast-phase configuration, the habitation modules are deployed in a classic rotating hoop configuration generating spin-gravity for passengers and crew.

 

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