Enhanced Docking Clamps

[Terry Mixon]

Do standard docking clamps not quite fit the needs of your company? Is there basic functionality that just isn’t there? MixCorp has heard your pleas and is now introducing a line of Enhanced Docking Clamps for greater flexibility and function!

First of all, why is it that standard docking clamps have no provision for running power to the ship or pod in the clamp? Seems simple, and in fact, it is. Our most basic model of Enhanced Docking Clamp comes standard with power connections at no additional cost above standard docking clamps.

That’s right. Free. Gratis. On the house. You’re welcome.



Pods used in these clamps are almost always cargo or fuel storage, though not meant for use by the ship mounting them.

Now, with that out of the way, why can’t there be a way to get from your ship to the parasite vessel or pod? Seems simple enough to us. Add airlocks. Done.



The additional cost and tonnage of the airlock(s) has to be added to the cost and tonnage of the Enhanced Docking Clamps, but now you don’t have to suit up to go check something out or visit with friends and coworkers. It also comes with free power couplings.

The passenger model can get quite pricy as the size or number of airlocks go up, but if you need them, you need them. If smaller or fewer airlocks are required, those units can be built to suit.

And finally, we have those in need of mounting fuel pods for extended range. Not a standard fuel pod, but one that is connected to the ship’s fuel system by high-speed pumps and able to feed their contents into the jump drive.



This, of course, adds to the tonnage of the ship, and that must be calculated in, but astrogators are smart people and can figure that all out. This model of Enhanced Docking Clamp comes with a drop tank mount (minus the explosives, of course) and all the fuel pumps and lines required. It, too, can pass power through the built-in connections.

We at MixCorp hope that these Enhanced Docking Clamps meet your needs, but if you have custom size requirements with more or less airlock capacity, or different size jump fuel storage needs, or even new requirements entirely, you have only to call us for a quote.

Remember the MixCorp motto: Step into the future or be left in the past.

 

[Hardwire]

Ok, nice write-up, however I see a possible flaw.

It does no good to have the docking clamp provide power if the receiving ship as no power connectors to take advantage of it.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Ok, nice write-up, however I see a possible flaw.

It does no good to have the docking clamp provide power if the receiving ship as no power connectors to take advantage of it.

That is beyond the scope of the docking clamps. Pods or ships will have to provide the appropriate connections to take advantage of them. Once the product is available, someone will start making modifications to use the capability if they need it.

 

[rinku]

Thank you MixCorp.

 

[Hardwire]

That is beyond the scope of the docking clamps. Pods or ships will have to provide the appropriate connections to take advantage of them. Once the product is available, someone will start making modifications to use the capability if they need it.

Ok fair enough.

 

[Arkathan]

Ok, nice write-up, however I see a possible flaw.

It does no good to have the docking clamp provide power if the receiving ship as no power connectors to take advantage of it.

The logical place to put a power connection port is at an airlock. If your ship is dead in space, that is where the rescue/recovery team is going to be going.

 

[Terry Mixon]

The logical place to put a power connection port is at an airlock. If your ship is dead in space, that is where the rescue/recovery team is going to be going.

True enough.

 

[rinku]

Yeah, I'd think there would usually be utility ports for a bunch of reasons. You may want to power some equipment outside the ship in port or in space. It would also make sense that when you need to start up a totally cold fusion reactor that it would be handy (or maybe necessary) to use external power to do so. Cost of installation can be assumed to be part of Hull, like the one free airlock, transponders and auxiliary thrusters.

Since ships can usually mate airlocks (unless geometry requires a docking tube), a Clamping Airlock for more secure connection makes sense. I'd think it should cost less than a Clamp plus an Airlock, whatever that works out to be, as the airlocks already have connection capability - you're just beefing that up. Maybe even a significant cost saving over a Docking Clamp of the same rating since you have to clamp to a suitable airlock, not just the hull in general?

And... maybe combine the ratings if both ships are equipped with one, to reflect the extra secure connection? Two 400 ton ships equipped with rating 3 Clamping Airlocks can securely clamp together as the combined rating becomes 600 tons.

Which then leads to the thought that with most common ships being 100 to 400 tons, that 100 ton and 200 ton rating ones might be in demand.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Ok, nice write-up, however I see a possible flaw.

It does no good to have the docking clamp provide power if the receiving ship as no power connectors to take advantage of it.

I would expect that they would be installed automatically during construction to power systems before the power plant and fuel tank were installed. Then of course they would be useful when overhauling the power plant as the shipyard would just hook to the power umbilical to keep life support, gravity etc working during the overhaul. Naturally search and rescue vessels would want to be able to connect to them as well to power systems if the power plant was down.

So I would assume standard power umbilicals are in fact present already.

 

[rinku]

Of course! Yes, power plants are often offline during installation and maintenance, so you would HAVE to have ports for external power supply, even if the new fusion plant is delivered in a standby state.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

And umbilicals can be two way so the docking clamp would just be mounted with the existing umbilical.

Add a docking clamp and a 200 ton barge to your far trader and it is a 400 ton Free Trader / subsidized merchant (be wise and have them subsidize the barge not the Far Trader). Spare barges and you can be a liner instead of a cargo ship as needed. Asteroid hulls are cheap but can't land but can be transformed into space stations as needed.

 

[Terry Mixon]

And umbilicals can be two way so the docking clamp would just be mounted with the existing umbilical.

Add a docking clamp and a 200 ton barge to your far trader and it is a 400 ton Free Trader / subsidized merchant (be wise and have them subsidize the barge not the Far Trader). Spare barges and you can be a liner instead of a cargo ship as needed.

My pod based merchant tenders do exactly this.

 

[Condottiere]

You could do a variant of breakaways.

 

[rinku]

I do like the idea you could upgrade your existing airlock to a heavy duty one that, when locked to another one gives the benefit of a clamp, up to typical small ship tonnages. Would not count as Clamped if one ship had a standard fitting, just docked.

Not as flexible as a true Docking Clamp, but likely cheaper overall since the locking mechanism is just a heavy duty version of the existing one.

 

[Terry Mixon]

You could do a variant of breakaways.

Would that be better or less expensive? I’m not where I can check but I somehow doubt it.

 

[Terry Mixon]

I do like the idea you could upgrade your existing airlock to a heavy duty one that, when locked to another one gives the benefit of a clamp, up to typical small ship tonnages. Would not count as Clamped if one ship had a standard fitting, just docked.

Not as flexible as a true Docking Clamp, but likely cheaper overall since the locking mechanism is just a heavy duty version of the existing one.

I think that would fail under thrust.

 

[rinku]

I think that would fail under thrust.

Well, you'd have to price it relative to an equivalent Clamp. The idea is that the connection is designed to be strong enough to cope with the same stresses as a docking clamp, but requires both ships to have some of the equipment instead of just one. Maybe 40% of the more generally useful 300 ton docking clamp, plus the cost of an airlock?

I'd better check the standard rules for docking, tho.

 

[Condottiere]

Breakaways are inherently expensive, but what you'd be after is localizing the interface to the docking apparatus, giving the primary hull's bridge network and spacecraft's power grid a connection to the secondary hull's bridge network and power grid.

 

[rinku]

Aright. Says not that much.

I'll propose this then:

Heavy Duty Airlock:
Designed to allow ships that are both equipped with one to gain the benefits of a docking clamp when docked using them, up to a combined tonnage of 400 tons. Joining a Heavy Duty Airlock with a regular airlock will only count the same as joining two normal airlocks.
Cr600,000, 7 tons. An existing Airlock is generally unable to be upgraded since they will rarely have the required extra 5 tons in their location, but if this is the case, can be done for a cost of Cr500,000 and 5 tons.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Yeah, I'd think there would usually be utility ports for a bunch of reasons. You may want to power some equipment outside the ship in port or in space. It would also make sense that when you need to start up a totally cold fusion reactor that it would be handy (or maybe necessary) to use external power to do so. Cost of installation can be assumed to be part of Hull, like the one free airlock, transponders and auxiliary thrusters.

Since ships can usually mate airlocks (unless geometry requires a docking tube), a Clamping Airlock for more secure connection makes sense. I'd think it should cost less than a Clamp plus an Airlock, whatever that works out to be, as the airlocks already have connection capability - you're just beefing that up. Maybe even a significant cost saving over a Docking Clamp of the same rating since you have to clamp to a suitable airlock, not just the hull in general?

And... maybe combine the ratings if both ships are equipped with one, to reflect the extra secure connection? Two 400 ton ships equipped with rating 3 Clamping Airlocks can securely clamp together as the combined rating becomes 600 tons.

Which then leads to the thought that with most common ships being 100 to 400 tons, that 100 ton and 200 ton rating ones might be in demand.

Those would be interesting for sure. All I’m doing is combining existing systems, with the addition of power, as that only makes sense. What you’re proposing is something new but could also work.