Ship Design Philosophy

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

1. As I envisaged it, many moons ago, the original Venture hull would be a copy of the Jupiter Two.

2.

3. Flattened sphere being still an option, and cheap.

4. If you don't have to land it, and planetoid unlikely being an attractive visual for angel investors, we have dispersed configuration.

5. Dispersed configuration being the cheapest hull.

6. Though, I would have thought a sealed stainless steel silo cylinder would beat that.

7. Non gravitated.

8. Manoeuvre drive and tailsitter orientation should temporarily provide some form of gravity.

9. Enough to mitigate health concerns.

 

[Anstett]

Three airlocks? or One large cargo airlock?

 

[Condottiere]

That depends.

If I followed Jupiter Two closely, there would be a mini all terrain vehicle hatch, and from what I remember, one passenger airlock.

If catamaranned, at least one hatch to the other hull, each, and one airlock.

I don't think we need a large cargo hatch, for there and back again, since it would only be used to bring in the stores, that wouldn't fit through the airlock.

 

[Anstett]

I was thinking a drop down hatch in the center to load unload the lander/vehicle. (large cargo hatch)

However that does not match up with the image and choices from the original. Which here seems to lean towards air lock at the top of each set of stairs.

 

[Condottiere]

Depends on what you want to do once you get to Alpha Centauri.

At the moment, the immediate need is to get there, not necessarily land.

Before everyone else.

I'm not sure why the Americans set up a base camp halfway, unless it has to do with the prevailing astrogation rules then, but presumably, theirs would be a full expedition, including planting the flag on any number of orbitting planets.

The Venture would be a one and done, though Melon Muskrat wouldn't have told the rest of the investors that - he just wants to be the first man in another solar system.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

A. The Americans invent, rediscover, and/or salvage, the jump drive.

B. They manufacture an early prototype.

C. At some point, the project splinters, and those involved in it, begin start ups.

D. The guys (there may be gals) that have the most knowledge of jump technology, incorporate the Venture Corporation.

E. First round of funding produces the Venture drive prototype.

F. It's proof of concept, and only one was ever built.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

G. You have production models of early fusion reactors at technological level eight.

H. So, energy generation isn't an issue.

I. Someone invented gravitational motors at technological level eight, as well, and manoeuvre drive factor one becomes available at technological level nine, so some other corporation is probably manufacturing them.

J. Let's assume Boeing is developing a jump drive for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

K. No, that would be Pratt and Whitney.

 

[Geir]

Startrucks: Venture Class

G. You have production models of early fusion reactors at technological level eight.

H. So, energy generation isn't an issue.

I. Someone invented gravitational motors at technological level eight, as well, and manoeuvre drive factor one becomes available at technological level nine, so some other corporation is probably manufacturing them.

J. Let's assume Boeing is developing a jump drive for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

K. No, that would be Pratt and Whitney.

Too bad the jump drive is on a Cost-Plus contract... it should be done in time for the StarLeaper One expedition in 73 years.

 

[Condottiere]

Probably why the project splintered.

The engineers actually wanted a vehicle that can get someone there.

And, preferably, back again.

I'm sort of torn as to whether Muskrat would have the testicular fortitude to use a prototype.

 

[Geir]

I'm sort of torn as to whether Muskrat would have the testicular fortitude to use a prototype.

I thought RUD was his middle name.

 

[Condottiere]

I'm sure he has acquired quite a lot, especially recently.

The Venture drive is a dead end development, but continues due to it's one attractive feature - it's currently the cheapest jump drive in production.

Going by the current rule set, there are only three models:


1. The prototype Model/One, of which only one was was ever built, and presumably is preserved on some museum on Terra.

2. The production Model/Two, widespread throughout the Solomanic Sphere.

3. The one shot Model/Three, which for obvious reasons, isn't easily available.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Engineering and Standard Jump Drive modules


Model: Tonnage - Range - Technological Level - features - parsec tonnes - default cost/megastarbux

10-2-B - e/130 - 200 - 11.25 Baden Drive, commercial off the shelf

10-2-D - j/s - 200 - 18.75 classified

10-2-E - j/e.s - 200 - 22.5 highly classified

10-1-9 - t/125 - 120 - 9 Venture Drive, commercial off the shelf

10-2-B - t/125 o/s - 200 - 2.25 hundred tonne emergency escape shuttle

18.75-4-D - t/125 - 400 - 16.875 Imperium sourced, legacy ecks boat jump drive


features: e/% [energy/percentage], f/% [fuel], h [hardened], j/e.l.s [jump/early.late.stealth], t/% [tonnage/percentage]

one shot: t/80, cost/25, engineer check minus two/doubles per subsequent jump

manning: one engineer per thirty five tonnes of engines

10-1-8 - t/125 - 120 - 90 Venture Drive, Model/One, prototype

10-1-9 - t/125 - 120 - 9 Venture Drive, Model/Two, commercial off the shelf

10-2-B - t/125 o/s - 200 - 2.25 Venture Drive, Model/Three, hundred tonne emergency escape shuttle

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

L. It's hard to say how interchangeable components are with other jump drives.

M. The overhead for the Venture drive is six and quarter tonnes, which might not be compatible with those with five tonne overheads.

N. It did allow an easy adoption from the prototype to the production model.

O. The jump capacitors, also, are different from the default ones.

P. They store forty power points per tonne, compared to default fifty power points per tonne.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Engineering and Terran Jump Drive Timeline

1. The UNSCA research station on Ceres had one more miracle to produce. It was at that station that Terrans first developed the jump drive, which allowed for accessible interstellar travel, in 2088. At first, the prototype jump drive was extremely fuel-hungry and limited in range.

2. Even after the UNSCA produced a true jump-1 drive (in 2092), there seemed to be little practical application for the technology.

3. Beginning in 2093, the US Space Force began an ambitious program to launch a manned interstellar expedition to use the jump drive.

4. Finally, in 2097 the StarLeaper One expedition was ready.

5. One critical item developed (by 2108) was a Terran version of the Vilani jump-1 drive, allowing Terran explorers their first easy access to the nearest stars.

6. In 2115 she dispatched a small punitive expedition, which engaged a mixed collection of Terran national squadrons at Barnard’s Star.

7. In 2122, a second Imperial punitive expedition entered the frontier region.

8. The greatest success of this effort came in 2124, when the UNSCA released the specifications for a Terran jump-2 drive.

9. By 2125, Terran starships equipped with the new jump-2 drive were beginning to appear in Imperial space.

 

[Condottiere]

Seems a about four or five year research and develop period by our group of intrepid (and commercially minded) group of engineers. Seems about the normal length of a start up period before cashing out, or initial public offering.

Knowledge sharing agreements were probably in place, so likely any final bugs in the Venture prototype jump drive would be ironed out in 2092.

Likely hundred tonne commercial starships would be constructed with Venture jump drives, but limited to outer system destinations.

No other Terran starship would be allowed to make an attempt to reach another solar system until Starleaper either returned or was feared lost. Though you'd think some would have a go at exploration in the other direction.

Going by the limitations of our customization process, likely the Terrans have breached technological level ten.

Limit it to just Venture jump drive manufacture, client shipbuilders can build their hundred twenty tonne starships anyway they want.

 

[Condottiere]

I'd say Twenty Eighty Nine, Anno Domini, when the American establish a forward base towards Alpha Centauri, Melon Muskrat starts insisting on the construction of a starship.

 

[Condottiere]

If the Terrans needed to get a Vilani example of a default jump drive, then what the Americans used for the Alpha Centauri expedition would be a prototype.

The early prototype is supposedly thirsty, plus double the size - then overhead would be ten tonnes, and the core five tonnes, but since we don't have increased fuel consumption, one hundred sixty percent energy inefficiency.

Optionally, one hundred thirty percent energy inefficiency, and range capped at a quarter parsec.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

Q. Presumably, drop tanks are a rather recent development.

R. So, the Venture can't boost out of Sol, using them.

S. We should give it a prefix.

T. Chances are, the default would eventually settle on Es Es, Star Ship.

U. But being mostly prototypical, Ar Vee, Research Vessel.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

V. The RV Venture would thus need to be a hull configuration that Muskrat would feel safe, and comfortable, in.

W. Do the Terrans have artificial gravitation, at that point?

X. If not, you're going to have a double hull, or a Muskrat cage.

Y. If it's a double hull, the outer hull would be sixty tonnes, and the inner hull would be sixty tonnes.

Z. The hull spin machinery would be six tonnes.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

1. Sixty tonnes would be (plus) fifty percent of the spacecraft.

2. Assuming one tonne floor and ceiling, as an outer tube.

3. The inner core would be mostly engineering, bridge, and primary fuel tank.

4. Cylinder seem obvious.

5. Approximately thirty metres length, gives us six metres diameter.

6. Or, twenty squares length times four squares diameter.

7. Ten tonne bridge, ten tonne jump drive, thirteen tonnes fuel, six tonnes double hull spin machinery.

8. I suppose a one tonne manoeuvre drive prototype, manufactured by maybe Rolls Royce.

9. Maybe a four tonne early fusion reactor.