J-torps for unmanned exploration

[jrients]

Howdy all! It's been a long time since I posted here, but I'm gearing up a new sci-fi campaign and desire the advice of all you wonderful Citizens.

Here is a concept for low-priority, low-tech, or underfunded exploration: send a j-torp with a sensor array and a comm system radios back the sensor information. You have to wait years to receive the data, but it doesn't seem that much worse of a method to me than our current real-world efforts to explore the solar system. (Aside from the agonizing wait before you recieve your first signal confirming your probe arrived at its target.)

I could see perhaps a pair of self-destruct systems onboard. One jettisons then destroys all jump-related technology immediately after jump to prevent non-jump sophonts from gaining J-tech. The other blows up the probe should it be tampered with in an unauthorized manner.

My new campaign concept is set in a cluster of isolated stars, something like the Island Clusters but a bit bigger. If several of these j-probes were launched into the cluster, a failure of a single self-destruct system could be enough to give jump technology to inhabitants of the cluster. I thought this would be an interesting variant on the old cliche of a lowtech race encountering a misjumped vessel.

I know I'm opening up the general can of worms of Jump-torpedo viability, but perhaps we can sidestep that larger issue for now.

 

[parmasson]

Why allow them to just sit out there or wait for radio signals.
Install this computer* program it to explore for a few weeks, skim for fuel (telescopes should have been able to spot gas giants) and return home.

I don’t use J-Torps but they are a fun idea to play with.

*Advanced Starship Operations Computer System Mk. XV (LBB 8 legal)
By Naasirka, your home for quality.
Model: TLF-42C9(N)
URP 420L0-00-QQ321-42C9(N) Cr4,566,475
Configuration: Cylinder, Mass: 233 kg, Volume: 80 liters
Duration: 3.4 hr battery backup TL-15 16/40 (combat armor)
10/35/30 Central Processor Unit, 75 total/50 free (Linear/ Parallel/Synaptic )
60/33 Storage System with 93 units of storage (Standard/Synaptic)
Apparent intelligence: 12, Apparent Education 9
Expected operation lifespan: 85 Years
Maximum Power Usage: 41

Integral Sensor Suite
1 visual sensor ( +tele +LI +PIR +AIR ), 1 audio sensor ( +sen )
1 voder
1 magnetic sensor, 1 radiation sensor, 1 mass sensor, 1 neutrino sensor 1 power interface

Complete Wireless Networking Package (Meets Imperial Standards)
1 master unit, 1 program Interface, 1 brain interface
1 radio (5000km)

1 holo recorder (3D), 1 holo display (3D)

4.2 liters free for upgrades

Included
High Data/Full Command OS
Military Specification Armored Casing for durability
Advanced electronic circuit protection (TL-15)
Emotion Simulation

Designed for the Imperial Interstellar Scout service this computer system combines traditional Vilani reliability with the highest technology available. Fifteen years in design and testing plus rigorous IISS field work has produced this powerful yet compact system that makes the perfect compliment to any starship main computer.

Software packages are available, see sales representative for details.
[edited for a few details]

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I just threw together one with FF&S2. 1.5dt and cost MCr10. For the price of a couple of these you could build a complete ship.

 

[Ran Targas]

^ IMTU, the IISS uses unmanned probes to maintain jump corridors; the probes record any gravitational abnormalities that may affect civilian navigation. The probes are designed to precipitate at designated points where they are met by a tender, refurbed, and sent back out. The old time scouts do not appreciate the contribution of this new technology as it has made manned surveys obsolete. Due to their general shape, red color, and lack of real intelligence, most scouts refer to the probes as "bricks".

IISS Seekers also routinely carry planetary probes for gathering information on chemical composition, environmental conditions, and presence of lifeforms. Their programming is not very complicated, using the ship's computer and operator ability (sensor) for most of the data processing and interpretation. The ship's navigator is normally responsible for plotting the probes trajectory. The probes can be retrieved for later use or left in orbit for longer observation periods.

 

[Whipsnade]

Jeff,

Nifty idea, but why wait years for a tiny radio signal that could be easily missed or corrupted? Instead, take GK's idea and merge with your own.

The probe is in two parts; the jump 'carrier' and the actual sensor platform(s). The 'carrier' or 'bus' arrives deep in the target system's Oort cloud and releases one or more sensor platforms towards likely targets in the inner system. The sensor platforms thrust in over months beaming data to the 'carrier'. After a certain period, the carrier uses it's 'boomerang' fuel to return home with the data. The carrier can be sent back to re-establish contact with the platforms and give them new directions.

You can still have your self destruct options too. Sensor platforms will destruct if certain conditions are met. The 'carrier' will either jump away or destruct, again depending on the situation.

It's still a deniable, lenghty, hands off, underfunded survey program, but the data comes back in months instead of years. Also, the survey program can adapt to conditions in the target system as data and orders slowly pass between the sensor platforms and their controllers.


Have fun,
Bill

P.S. I've used jump torps in various personal TUs. They may be setting wreckers in the OTU, but that shouldn't stop folks from using them in their own TUs.

 

[jrients]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
I just threw together one with FF&S2. 1.5dt and cost MCr10. For the price of a couple of these you could build a complete ship.

Hmmm, perhaps the race sending them has reasons for unmanned flights? They don't want to reveal who they are if the probe is intercepted or they have a cultural aversion to manned space flights (we got some folks in congress trying to trim manned missions from NASA). K'kree could maybe see a benefit from these probes.

 

[mike wightman]

If YTU has jump torpedos, why not have 10t jump probes that have a magazine of sensor drones and jump torpedos to report back with

By the way, I use jump torpedos IMTU.

 

[far-trader]

MTU would declare war on yours for using jump torpedos, but we'd loose. You probably use near-c rocks too!

(hmm, what other flame bait do I have lying about...

)

 

[far-trader]

As for the rational of using small probes that can't return perhaps it's a resource issue. And the main reason for the probes to find the resources needed to make more and bigger jump ships. A small fleet of mining ships is being built to go out and get the needed material once the probes find it and the radio signals come back.

Your world in the cluster happens to have the resource in abundance, figures out how to make jump ships from the probe and starts building.

In a few years the probes creators show up to begin mining and find aliens have built jump ships. Or to borrow from a sci-fi story (I forget the author and title, Niven maybe) the aliens are contacted by the probe, build the jump ships and go to meet the race who sent it. Then after a few years the aliens are on hand at the somewhat anti-climatic reception of the probes signal on the sender's homeworld

In the story it was to close a deal with the sender's race (Earthlings) for the durable tech that allowed such a probe (sub-light) to cross interstellar space, perform it's mission autonomously and transmit the data back across light years. Good story actually.

 

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by far-trader:
MTU would declare war on yours for using jump torpedos, but we'd loose. You probably use near-c rocks too!

(hmm, what other flame bait do I have lying about...

)

No near c rocks IMTU, a maximum hullsize of 12000t doesn't allow it.

They could always stack the drives...

other flame bait???

TNE is the best version of Traveller because virus is a great idea and the combat system is the most realistic yet...

T4 has the best task system yet developed for Traveller...

Norris used the Kinunir's Imperial Warrant...

plus too many others to list

 

[parmasson]

by Andrew Boulton

I just threw together one with FF&S2. 1.5dt and cost MCr10. For the price of a couple of these you could build a complete ship.

Would you be willing to post the specs? Sounds cool.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

J-1, J class Jump Torp (FF&S v2)
Designed by AB

Statistics
Tons: 2std ( USL Sphere ) Crew: 0/0 Cargo: 0std (0/00)
Volume: 21m3 Passengers High/Med: 0/0 Cost: 9.49 MCr
Mass (L/C): 39t/38t Passengers Low: 0 Maintenance Points: 1
Dimensions: 3.4m diameter Troops/Science: 0/0 Tech Level: 13
Size: 6 Frozen Watch: 0

Electronics
Controls: Holographic, High automation. 3xComp (CM:0.45 CP:2.22). No bridge.
Communications: 1xRadio (50,000km, 0.02MW). 1xLaser (1,000AU, 0MW).
Sensors: 1xPEMS (13 [5mkm], 0MW).
Survey/Science:
ECM:
Signatures: Vis:-0.5, IR:-0.5 (-0.5 at 10MW, -1 at 1MW), Act:0, Neu:-1, Grav:-1

Performance
1 Jump (0std/pc fuel)
1 Maneuver (/Thruster:10MW)
0 Contra-grav
n/a Atmosphere
13 Power (/Fus:10.09MW,0.2yr )
0 Battery
0.3 Fuel
0/0/0/0/0 Accomodations
0 Life Sup. (/Ty:Ex,Nm /'St)
0 G-Comp
0 ESA
0 Sandcasters
0 Damper Turrets
0 Damper Screen
0 Meson Screen
0 Force Field
0 Gravtics
0 [20] Armor, 0 Structure

 

[Jame]

I would think something like this would be better for supplementing ships which're already in-system. Just send them to a far part of the system and wait for their radio signal.

 

[Sifu Blackirish]

IMTU due to the limited capacity of early jump drives, the probes were automated. later the 'courier-bots' were programmed to return home with their survey data on their own.

Due to the nature of jump drives IMTU, ships could also do a jump much larger than standard, even though it took the same amount of time (125-150 hrs per jump). for exam[ple, a ship with capacity could do a jump-6 with only jump -2 drives installed, but it would take 3 times the standard time. also a slight chance of catastropohic failure...

the clasic j-torp is just being developed as we speak (about TL14.5 IMTU)...

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by far-trader:
[QB]Or to borrow from a sci-fi story (I forget the author and title, Niven maybe) the aliens are contacted by the probe, build the jump ships and go to meet the race who sent it. Then after a few years the aliens are on hand at the somewhat anti-climatic reception of the probes signal on the sender's homeworld.

Dan,

Good memory there! The story is called Banquo's Ghost and it is by Larry Niven.

An alien observer is on hand for the reception of the probe's final signals at a JPL-type control center. The probe transmits precise atmospheric data among other things and the signal is 'lost' during its closest approach to the world. That's the point when the aliens had shot is down!

The aliens want to compare the probe's findings versus the real thing; apparently they've kept such details secret from Earth. When the data match, they'll share their FTL drive with Earth.

The whole affair is rather anticlimatic to Earth. Niven hints that space exploration isn't even funded anymore and the control center had to be re-opened for the event. Itseems there was just too much of a culture shock when the FTL alien ships arrived.

The alien; they're from Alpha Centauri and reasonably humanoid down to being able to speak English and suffering from allergies due to Earth pollens, can't quite grasp why humanity is so sad about the whole thing. They freely admit they discovered FTL completely by accident and could have never mustered the gumption to design, build, program, and launch a successful STL interstellar probe. The Earth reporter writes this all down, but doesn't think it will change things.

I cannot remember which Niven anthology it was published in.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Ran Targas]

What's the story where the huge, galaxy spanning bureaucracy sends a follow up mission to a planet to find out what happened to their probe? When the mission arrives, the agent finds out the probe was accidently destroyed but not before it managed to send a signal. The agent realizes the new species was not aware of their faux pas but it's too late; a battle fleet is on its way to bomb them into extinction as they exhibit obvious hostile tendencies.

It was full of bio tech; spare brains and semi-sentient slave organisms. Very strange and highly imaginative.

 

[mike wightman]

Now that could make for an interesting red zoned world...