What class Starport?

[Tom Kalbfus]

hypothetical:
Suppose a Scout/Courier were to land at todays Cape Canaveral, would they be able to refuel that Scout/Courier with refined fuel, since that refined fuel is just hydrogen, and NASA has the capability of both liquifying and storing hydrogen for its own rockets which it burns with liquid oxygen instead of fusing hydrogen into helium as a Xcout /Courier's reactors do, but the fuel is the same. Looking in my Traveller book it says a class D Starport indicates that only unrefined fuel is available. So does this mean that NASA's Cape Canaveral is the equivalent to a Class D Starport since it can provide liquid hydrogen for the hypothetical Scout/Courier's fuel tank. So does this mean than any tech level world with a population of around 8 to A could possibly provide liquid hydrogen fuel to s Starship even if it has never seen a starship before and can only launch chemical rockets into orbit?

 

[Infojunky]

Yes....

 

[Reynard]

This is a case of assuming the universe is homogenous and cosmopolitan. We're used to every system, no matter how low the tech level, has had contact with starfaring races. The Imperium, of course, has meddled in the affairs of every world in their borders for several thousand years.

Can you imagine a Villani ship merchant dropping out of orbit and landing near Cape Canaveral (Cape Kennedy) asking for refueling? We'd be one of those known but unexplored systems just beyond the boundary. Besides the possibility of being shot down I'm sure the facility isn't designed for immediately topping off just any vehicle.

This is a good time to think about a planet's profile and the characteristics of low level starports especially on low tech worlds. I know it's the way Traveller has always worked, and I appreciate Mongoose took up the challenge with their alternative starport generation, but the combinations for ports, population and tech level can call for some imaginative explanations.

 

[Condottiere]

Spaceport should cover it.

Should be a libertarian's dream, no Imperial entanglements (or business standards bureau).

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Please refer to this first:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport

Traveller's Core Rulebook definition of spaceport/starport is different as currently in real life we have launch/refuling/repair in separate locations general. So....

Based on a strict interpretation of the CRB definitions, we only have a few Class E ports (designated landing area) like Kennedy Space Center and Edwards Air Force Base. Refueling is not available at these landing areas, so Class E
Or
On refueling, we have quite a few Class D ports based on refueling.

For games involving what our world is like, I use a different system falling into our TL7/TL8 definitions:
A Independent Space Agency, Manned Launch Vehicles
B ESA
C Independent Space Agency, Unmanned Launch Vehicles
D Independent Space Agency, No Launchers
E Launchers Only
X No Launch Facilities