What is the true size of an airlock?

[BlueCyberWolf]

The average airlock is large enough for three people in vacc suits to pass through. (p. 152 Core Rulebook; section Airlocks)

According to the Core Rulebook on p. 152 an airlock should be the length of 3 squares, or 4.5 meters, assuming one square, 1.5 meters, is the size of person (not to mention an Aslan/Hiver/etc.) in a vacc suit. When I look at the ship's deck plans for those listed in the Core Rulebook the airlock only takes up one square, 1.5 meters. Is the description on p. 152 of the Core Rulebook wrong, and it should state, "The average airlock is large enough for one person in a vacc suit to pass through"?

 

[Limpin Legin]

The true size of an airlock is 1.5m. I'd imagine your question is really asking whether 1.5m is wide enough for one person or three persons to pass through, simultaneously?
A a measure, I am 1.8m tall and approx. 0.5m wide, so three of me would indeed just about fit through a 1.5m airlock. I suspect with such measurements, and with a Vacc suit on, only two of me could pass through a conventional airlock simultaneously.

 

[Reisender]

Depends on the Tech Level(TL) of the vacc suit. TL 8 NASA space suits are quite bulky but with increasing TL vacc suits become smaller and smaller.

 

[Limpin Legin]

Depends on the Tech Level(TL) of the vacc suit. TL 8 NASA space suits are quite bulky but with increasing TL vacc suits become smaller and smaller.

Okay. Even so, at 0.5m shoulder width, x3 persons would be a very tight fit, even if wearing only a pressure sleeve each instead of a vacc suit.

 

[Reisender]

My 2020 Core Rulebook states on page 143:

The average airlock is large enough for three people in vacc suits to pass through.

My 2016 Highguard book states on page 22:

A standard airlock is capable of cycling two humans per minute...

Installing additional airlock space uses 2 dtons, which is half the size of the standard stateroom. Since standard staterooms are usually represented by 3 x 2 squares this gives us 3 x 1 squares. With one square being 1.5m we get 4.5m x 1.5m as mentioned by BlueCyberWolf. But we don't know how much space the structure and the machinery for an airlock needs but for convenience you may subtract it from the 3m height of the room, keeping the 4.5m x 1.5m floor dimension.

It seems we already have different opinions in the Mongoose books about the standard airlock. I think two humans with TL8 space suits is the standard but if in an emergency you could squeeze three of them in there though it is most likely not recommended. With TL12+ vacc suits three humans, each taking up a 1.5m x 1.5m square, should be able to stand in an airlock at the same time quite comfortably in my opinion.

 

[Condottiere]

Staterooms supposedly subsidize common areas.

Airlocks do not.

It's a question of what components are involved, like two doors, and a vacuum pump.

 

[Limpin Legin]

Sorry folks, I was only measuring for an airlock door rather than the entire airlock room. Deckplan Legend on CRB, page 189 refers to an "airlock" as a door.

 

[Condottiere]

Depends on the function.

Technically, I'd say hatch would be a door that doesn't have an immediate second set of doors behind it, for air recovery, and/or quarantine.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Sorry folks, I was only measuring for an airlock door rather than the entire airlock room. Deckplan Legend on CRB, page 189 refers to an "airlock" as a door.

Technically, shouldn't an airlock be 2 doors with some space in between? Maybe that section of the book needs another pass with a proofreader.

 

[Arkathan]

According to the Core Rulebook on p. 152 an airlock should be the length of 3 squares, or 4.5 meters, assuming one square, 1.5 meters, is the size of person (not to mention an Aslan/Hiver/etc.) in a vacc suit. When I look at the ship's deck plans for those listed in the Core Rulebook the airlock only takes up one square, 1.5 meters. Is the description on p. 152 of the Core Rulebook wrong, and it should state, "The average airlock is large enough for one person in a vacc suit to pass through"?

In High Guard, the free airlocks you get for each 100 tons of ship are two tons, 4 squares. Since the core rules say three people can fit in it, three squares, the mechanics of the airlock take up the fourth square, distributed around the bottom, top and sides of those other three squares.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Stealth Airlock, Surface Mount

Here is an Armored, Surface-mounted, Stealth Airlock with a Holographic Hull to simulate Vislight Chameleon. Just enter the size object that you wish to fit in it the "Ship Size" cell. I designed it for ships, but if you removed the Armor (since armor volume percentages change if you make it smaller than 100 tons), you could use it for whatever.

 

[Condottiere]

I wouldn't give out freebie airlocks, since that's still two percent of volume, and costs money, neither of which are accounted for.

Hatches, is a different matter.

 

[MasterGwydion]

I wouldn't give out freebie airlocks, since that's still two percent of volume, and costs money, neither of which are accounted for.

Hatches, is a different matter.

No different than car companies switching to making A/C and power windows standard and not paid for separately.

 

[Arkathan]

I wouldn't give out freebie airlocks, since that's still two percent of volume, and costs money, neither of which are accounted for.

Hatches, is a different matter.

Even so, being free makes it the Mongoose de facto model of an airlock.

 

[Condottiere]

1. Order hundred tonne planetoid hull for forty kilostarbux.

2. Get freebie two hundred kilostarbux airlock.

3. Remove two tonne airlock, and sell it.

4. Profit.

 

[MasterGwydion]

1. Order hundred tonne planetoid hull for forty kilostarbux.

2. Get freebie two hundred kilostarbux airlock.

3. Remove two tonne airlock, and sell it.

4. Profit.

You are forgetting the cost of removing the airlock and the cost of replacing it with something else, like hull and armor. I forget which book refits are covered in.

You are also forgetting the cargo airlock, unless that is what you are using to enter/exit your ship.

Need at least one airlock to enter/exit the ship.

 

[Condottiere]

I believe that goes under minor refit, which would be an additional ten percent of cost.

And if you have a multi hundred tonne hull, you have more than one free airlock.

Cargo hatches don't have a price tag, but you could give it a nominal ten kilostarbux, plus ten percent for installation.

 

[Condottiere]

Or, a door plug.

 

[Arkathan]

Cargo hatches that are not part of airlocks are free.
At which time your cargo bay IS the airlock... which could answer the OP's question for that rare case.

 

[Condottiere]

Cargo hatches should cost something, since it's a hole, and you want that secure and airtight.

You could assume that it's included in a docking space, but it becomes a question whether a docking space, or a hangar, is enclosed, and access would have multiple hatches.

A lesser degree with cargo holds.