Ship Design Philosophy

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Startrucks: Venture Class

A. The outside hull would be used as crew quarters, and additional fuel tanks.

B. For about eight hundred forty cubic metres, you'd want at least enough headroom to walk normally.

C. The outside diameter would be twelve metres.

D. It would be about at tad under ten metres the length of the outside tube.

E. That would be about a third of the length of the central cylinder.

F. So, I suppose, for balance, it would be in the middle.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

G. But, I don't think it works that way.

H. According to Fig. 3 a rotating space station should have a minimum radius of 30 meters and a spin rate of 4.5 rpm to simulate an artificial gravity of 0.9 G.

I. To create 1 G we need 50 m radius and a spin rate of approx. 4.2 rpm.

J. So, I guess unless we want Muskrat cages, at this scale.

K. Otherwise ...

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Class

L.

M. That's the Americans.

N. The question becomes, when are gravitational tiles available?

O. And, if it's not technological level eight, maybe prototypes?

P. Because at one hundred twenty tonnes, double hulls and hamster cages don't really look feasible.

 

[Condottiere]

Maybe I have to start seriously dissecting Aerospace Engineers Handbook.

Compatibility, though.

Noticed there is no minimum technological level for the default gravitated hulls.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

The ten tonne, technological level nine budgetted, increased size, one hundred twenty parsec tonne Venture jump drive, costs at default nine megastarbux.

If you needed a naval architect to design it, it would costs nine and nine tenths megastarbux.

But usually, naval architects know nuts about jump drive technology.

You'd need an engineer specialized in jump technology, to design a jump drive.

A naval engineer just figures out how to put all the ship components together, optimally.

The cost of the Venture jump drive would be subject to economies of scale for production cost, plus overhead, transportation, and installation.

In relationship to starship construction costs.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

1. Shipyards provide the facilities needed to build ships to the Tech Level of the space station.

2. A shipyard consumes two tons for every ton of the largest ship it is capable of building or the total tonnage of ships it can build at any one time (so, a 10,000-ton shipyard can build ships totalling up to 5,000 tons).

3. Implies all ship components are manufactured at the shipyard.

4. For every ton they consume, shipyards cost MCr0.5 and require 1 Power.

5. They also need one crewman for every 10 tons.

6. In order to construct ships with jump drives, a shipyard must be of a suitable Tech Level, as defined on the Jump Potential table on page 16.

7. Shipyards capable of building ships with jump drives have their cost increased to MCr0.75 per ton.

8. In theory, a one hundred twenty tonne starship requires a two hundred forty tonne shipyard.

9. Costs ninety megastarbux, needs twelve crewmen, and requires one hundred twenty power points.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

A. If we parcel it out, we could have specialized manufacturing facilities.

B. Advanced Electronics, Machine Parts, Manufactured Goods - Advanced - Industrial bonus.

C. Technological level ten, twenty five tonnes per tonne of goods manufactured, two power points per, presumably at two fifths megastarbux per advanced manufacturing plant unit.

D. In this case, that would be a quarter kilotonne of manufacturing plant, twenty power points, one hundred twenty five crew, costing four megastarbux.

E. Which would default at one ten tonne jump drive, per day.

F. I'd say what's missing is manufacturing cost, labour, materials, et cetera, and overheads.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

G. Overhead is six and a quarter tonnes, at five and five eighths megastarbux.

H. Overhead jump capacitors are one and a quarter tonnes at two and a quarter megastarbux, balance three and three eighths megastarbux.

I. Core would be three and three quarter tonnes, at three and three eighths megastarbux.

J. Core jump capacitors are three quarter tonnes at one and seven twentieths megastarbux, balance 2.025 megastarbux.

K. Total two tonnes of jump capacitors, at three and three fifths megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

L. I find it unlikely that anyone will find it worthwhile to have increased size jump drives.

M. Beyond those who came up with the same concept as the Venture drive (variant).

N. Maybe the Ponies, who seem to like to have space to deal with issues.

O. A twenty five percent increase in the size of components may be easier to handle.

P. Possibly, maintain and repair.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Battlefleets

In the future, fleets of unimaginable scope may battle over light years, in conflicts that might last milliseconds or entire centuries.

1. Making a pass.

2. Keep your powder dry.

3. Ammunition.

4. Space jamming.

5.

6. Coordination.

7.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

Q. We could breakdown the spacecraft into pods.

R. Since this is only vaguely addressed Elementally, a lot of what follows is speculative.

S. We could attach an engineering pod to the primary hull.

T. That would make switching out the engines, usually expensive, cheaper.

U. Possibly faster, than a major refit.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

V. In terms of structural stress, the only thing that could produce that, would be weapons recoil, and thrusters.

W. Jump drives just sit there, and hibernate.

X. They don't need to be located at a specific location, to function.

Y. Optimally, or otherwise.

Z. They just need energy, fuel, and a hundred tonnes of ballast.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

1. Default cost of Venture drive is nine megastarbux.

2. How many Venture drives have been manufactured?

3. No idea, but that would cover a period of thirty six centuries.

4. I'd say that they are still used extensively throughout the Solomanic Sphere.

5. And, beyond.

6. Probably, not by the Aslan.

7. Assuming there is such a thing as performance degradation through depreciation.

8. It's more likely that the hull would fall apart, before the Venture drive fails, or falls below minimum performance parameter.

9. Assuming, normal maintenance.

 

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Startrucks: The Challenge Drive and Hyperspace Challenge utilizes the world of art to help tell complex stories of space

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is partnering with the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, or Space RCO, and longtime partner CNM Ingenuity, or CNMI, the economic development arm of Central New Mexico Community College, and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to hold the 2023 Hyperspace Challenge in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Hyperspace Challenge Accelerator Week is a capstone event for this initiative and will be held at the Q-Station in Albuquerque Nov. 1-2, 2023. The goal of the challenge is to introduce opportunities for organizations to work with the Department of Defense. Since 2018, the three-month accelerator program has aimed to strengthen economic development in the space sector.

“The government needs the most innovative technology and capabilities to get after its mission. Because of the current state of the space industrial base rapidly growing and expanding, we know that private industry has those solutions,” said Gabe Mounce, AFRL tech engagement office director.

This year marks the sixth iteration of the Hyperspace Challenge and the first year AFRL is partnering with Space RCO to further progress space development.

“Hyperspace is always looking for ways to grow,” said Lauren Hunt, AFRL deputy program manager for the Space Force Accelerators Program. “Our goal is to really deepen connections and relationships among different communities. Every year we try to bring together a diverse group of communities who have different perspectives and concepts, so we can seek out the most innovative ideas. We look at viewpoints we haven't considered before.”

Hyperspace also focuses on reducing organizations' barriers to entry, Hunt said, enabling companies that may not have previously partnered with the government to make inroads and determine if a partnership is a good match.

The in-person accelerator week will enable businesses, educational institutions and other organizations involved in this program to highlight state-of-the-art products, services and processes to DOD partners. Through this joint effort with AFRL, participants in the corporate sector can rapidly expand their efforts by synergizing with government entities.

“The Hyperspace Challenge Accelerator is the result of AFRL efforts over the past six years,” said Col. Jeremy Raley, director of AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate and commander of AFRL’s Phillips Research Site. “We are proud to give industry partners the platform to collaborate, cultivate and support us by providing more efficient technology for our warfighter missions.”

Matt Fetrow, Space Rapid Capabilities Office communication director, explained the current opportunities in the commercial sector. The program is seeking companies or organizations that have “mature products and services or technologies” which fit Space RCO’s interest areas and have a proven track record of delivering capability.

“I was excited when we started getting involved in conversations this year with AFRL on the need to improve dynamic space operations,” Fetrow said. “The ability to work with Hyperspace to get those conversations started with industry players about our needs and what products or services they might be able to offer to solve some of those needs is great. This allows us to have rich and hopefully enduring relationships with companies in the cohort and it’s a great opportunity for Space RCO to take that relationship building with industry to another level.”

AFRL partners with Space RCO, CNM Ingenuity to host Accelerator Week for Hyperspace Challe

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is partnering with the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, or Space RCO, and longtime partner CNM Ingenuity, or CNMI, the economic development arm of Central

www.afmc.af.mil

I would guess, that one of the other jump drive projects would be the Challenge Drive, sponsored by the United States Air Force, presumably, eventually taken over by the Space Force.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

A. What we have would be a split between a faction that wants a jump drive now, and one that's already considering the military application of it.

B. I don't know how large the Starleaper is, but it could have been between two to twelve hundred tonnes.

C. At the larger end, it would imply that the Terrans were already considering the thirty five tonne jump drive.

D. At the lower end, ye ten tonner.

E. In either case, the prototype disadvantage they chose would be energy inefficiency.

F. The Terrans tend to have large fusion reactors installed on their spacecraft, seeing it as rather inexpensive, if not basically free, energy.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

G. Of course, this is me trying to justify a thirty six century piece of engineering, that potentially is six technological levels out of date.

H. The increased size allows easier maintenance and repair.

I. Any engineering/zero student can take it apart and put it together again.

J. Not just because the components are easier to manually handle, but also because the design hasn't changed in thirty six centuries.

K.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

L. You can have a sixteen and two third percent performance degradation, and it would still be a viable jump drive.

M. The two tonnes of jump capacitors, increased size, have a modified capacity of eighty power points.

N. Which means a buffer of sixty eight power points, or five and two thirds over likely requirement.

O. The jump capacitors could degrade to ten power points capacity, and in theory, you could still jump.

P. But at that point, I would seriously consider replacing them.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

Q. Presumably, default jump drives have their jump capacitors as a one tonne spark plug.

R. That allows them to swap either core or overhead jump capacitors, without discrimination.

S. The Venture drive jump capacitors would be two sizes, one and a quarter tonnes, and three quarter tonnes.

T. The overhead one and a quarter tonne spark plug might be only factory installed, and permanently left in the overhead section, without anyone ever bothering to change it.

U. The core three quarter tonne jump capacitor is available as a spare part.

 

[Condottiere]

Startrucks: Venture Drive

V. You could build an engineering pod around a Venture drive.

W. It would need only be activated for the transition, and diagnostics.

X. Ten tonne Venture drive, twelve tonne fuel tank, one tonne technological level ten battery.

Y. Non gravitated, minimum basic one and three twentieths power points.

Z. Twelve power points for jump, twenty four rounds basic.

 

[Condottiere]

Inspiration: The Fifth Element - 1950's Super Panavision 70