Any canon for satellites?
- Thread starter mb345345
- Start date
Geir
Emperor Mongoose
Not in the core books or supplements. I know there are probably a few scattered among adventures and/or JTAS articles, but don't have the anything useful like a global index to search... and I think there's some in 2300AD to appropriate. (Yeah, so not that helpful, sorry).
You could build one using the Robot Handbook, or you can assume the size and cost of a Probe Drone with a comms focus instead of sensors as a quick estimate (Cr100000 for a single Probe and Cr160000 for an Advanced Probe).
You could build one using the Robot Handbook, or you can assume the size and cost of a Probe Drone with a comms focus instead of sensors as a quick estimate (Cr100000 for a single Probe and Cr160000 for an Advanced Probe).
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
It's large enough, it's a space station.
As I recall, some science fiction novels mention grapes for scale.
Custom design starts with a five tonne hull.
As I recall, some science fiction novels mention grapes for scale.
Custom design starts with a five tonne hull.
It would depend on what you have in mind. For just a basic communications satellite, a probe or advanced probe (depending on the capability you envision) makes a good model. This would be part of a constellation - probably about a dozen would be needed to provide (basic) worldwide coverage, with more satellites providing more thorough and higher (effective) bandwidth communications. A larger, more capable installation, capable of covering and enhancing communications for a roughly continental range, could be designed using the Robots and the Vehicles handbooks, and High Guard could be used to design a 10 or 100 Dt space station (even an unmanned space station) to handle global telecommunication over a quarter or more of the globe, maybe over the entire thing with smaller satellites to act as over-the-horizon relays. In fact, most technologically advanced worlds are probably going to handle their telecommunications networks with a tiered approach of this nature, probably having two or three of the space station facilities (for redundancy - one of these is quite likely enough to handle the bandwidth for a world, but having a backup is going to be considered the intelligent approach), with dozens or hundreds of the smaller satellites to act as relays.
CordwainerFish
Emperor Mongoose
A really high tech world may also be using neutrino and/or meson communications, which won't require space based assets to begin with.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Depends on who's launching it.
Explorers might want to place one in orbit to ensure communications, or keep an eye on environmental conditions.
Explorers might want to place one in orbit to ensure communications, or keep an eye on environmental conditions.
CordwainerFish
Emperor Mongoose
Is an MAF something like a BOTEC?
Arkathan
Emperor Mongoose
It's the cyphering we weren't taught in school, like guzzintuhs.
Contrast the Telstar 1 that would be a size 3 or 4 robot chassis.
First comm sat that allowed transmission of video between the US and Europe. Just under a 1m sphere, covered in solar panels that provided a whopping 14 watts. Worked for about seven months, and then Starfish Prime fried it.
Contrast the Telstar 1 that would be a size 3 or 4 robot chassis.
First comm sat that allowed transmission of video between the US and Europe. Just under a 1m sphere, covered in solar panels that provided a whopping 14 watts. Worked for about seven months, and then Starfish Prime fried it.
