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Shipyards and Spacedocks

Jame

SOC-14 5K
So, by now we know what kind of ships we'd build and how we'd build them. But where would you build them in the first place, and conduct their routine maintenance and repair their combat damage (if we presume that they managed to NOT get arrested
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)?

The typical C+ starport/downport is supposed to be able to conduct this maintenance and repair work, and the typical B+ port can build the boats and ships to need repair, but the descriptions have "kindly" ( :mad: ) forgotten to say 'how' and 'where' this building, maintenance and repair is done.
 
Another good topic Jame,


Think of the requirements of a starport. Plenty of hyrdrogen. I'd been putting it near water. Several klick from any city to avoid disasters. Perhaps connected by high speed rail with 1 or more cities.

Because a planet rates a "high level" B+ starport does not mean that it does not have other starport and shipyards groundside. Actually if you look at earth we have 2 primary ports on the Cape and Star City Russia. Our Cape might have the higher rating. Europe and China also have rudimentary ports for satellite launches.
Spacedocks in orbit are common above the higher level traveller starports. It is a point of convenience for ships not intending or unable to land but has several hazards. For example, during war they're a prime target for attack. It can also be useful to only have a spaceport above a protected or hazardous planet. I've put buffered spacedock/starports near gas giants as well for simplified commerce.

Shipyards would need to be located near starports that is common sense but assembly of parts could be global.

Savage
 
Yes, good logical next question. Hey wait a minute
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I thought you were off on another vacation
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:rolleyes: Oh well, as long as you're still waiting for the launch ;)

In addition to any ground facilities I think the Lagrangian points of any mainworld will be dedicated to (in order and subject to the number of mainworld-mainstar and mainworld-satellite Lagrange points available):

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Mainworld-Mainstar L1 (between the mainworld and the mainstar) - Starport type A, B, or C - The main HighPort (for big traffic, generally the unstreamlined kilo-Ton ships) is placed here, with a smaller subsidiary HighPort(s) closer in for the smaller typically streamlined ships and small craft.

Mainworld-Mainstar L2 (opposite L1) - This is where the Starport A or B High Shipyard is placed. Here unstreamlined ships and/or craft are maintained, repaired and built.

Mainworld-Mainstar L4 (on the mainworld's orbit but 60° counterclockwise off the Mainworld-Mainstar line) - Navy HighGuard Base or Scout HighLook Base. In the case of both a Navy and Scout Base in the same system this is the HighGuard Base. If only one base exists in the system it is placed here with a smaller subsidiary base of the same service at the Mainworld-Mainstar L5 point.

Mainworld-Mainstar L5 (on the mainworld's orbit but 60° clockwise off the Mainworld-Mainstar line) - Navy HighGuard Base or Scout HighLook Base. In the case of both a Navy and Scout Base in the same system this is the HighLook Base.

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Mainworld-Satellite Lagrange points (if any) are used for (in no particular order):

Space colony habitats in systems with high populations (code Hi) and Starport A, B or C.

Space industry/research bases in industrial systems (code In) with Starport A, B or C.

Private estate habitats in rich systems (code Ri) with Starport A, B or C.

Imperial Administrative centers in capital systems.

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Finally a couple good links if you need to brush up on some basics.

Astronomy Introduction


Orbits and Lagrange Points
 
Ships that are damaged will have a tough time reaching DownPort. High ports and other stations have an option.

My thought:

Do you remember in Star Wars, and less obviously in Star Trek, the big wide open hangers that are exposed to the harsh vacuum of space? Well this is more or less possible in Traveller given Gravity generating Deck Plating stuff.

Even without 'force fields' keeping the air in, the presence of gravity will minimize but not eliminate outgassing of air. Just open the hanger doors, slip the ship inside, and shut the doors. Worst that will happen is some ears will pop lightly. Voila! Shirtsleeve environment to repair ships...hope the shipdoesn't crash in the process (all that gravity ya know.)
 
Originally posted by Hecateus:
Ships that are damaged will have a tough time reaching DownPort. High ports and other stations have an option.

My thought:

Do you remember in Star Wars, and less obviously in Star Trek, the big wide open hangers that are exposed to the harsh vacuum of space? Well this is more or less possible in Traveller given Gravity generating Deck Plating stuff.

Even without 'force fields' keeping the air in, the presence of gravity will minimize but not eliminate outgassing of air. Just open the hanger doors, slip the ship inside, and shut the doors. Worst that will happen is some ears will pop lightly. Voila! Shirtsleeve environment to repair ships...hope the shipdoesn't crash in the process (all that gravity ya know.)
Leave the top open instead of the sides, it becomes more efficient that way...
 
Do you remember in Star Wars, and less obviously in Star Trek, the big wide open hangers that are exposed to the harsh vacuum of space? Well this is more or less possible in Traveller given Gravity generating Deck Plating stuff.

Even without 'force fields' keeping the air in, the presence of gravity will minimize but not eliminate outgassing of air. Just open the hanger doors, slip the ship inside, and shut the doors. Worst that will happen is some ears will pop lightly.
actually, they'd pop a lot. gravity holds air to the earth, but it takes a lot of air overhead to build up enough pressure to make it usefully breathable. gravity sufficient to build up useful air pressure at a shallow depth would be fatal to any human.
 
Originally posted by flykiller:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Do you remember in Star Wars, and less obviously in Star Trek, the big wide open hangers that are exposed to the harsh vacuum of space? Well this is more or less possible in Traveller given Gravity generating Deck Plating stuff.

Even without 'force fields' keeping the air in, the presence of gravity will minimize but not eliminate outgassing of air. Just open the hanger doors, slip the ship inside, and shut the doors. Worst that will happen is some ears will pop lightly.
actually, they'd pop a lot. gravity holds air to the earth, but it takes a lot of air overhead to build up enough pressure to make it usefully breathable. gravity sufficient to build up useful air pressure at a shallow depth would be fatal to any human. </font>[/QUOTE]Ahh, but you could put a very high g field across the opening, simulating the effect of a much deeper atmosphere. This raisess the canonical question of how many Gs can a grav field produce, if it's high enough to do this, why are ships limited to 6 G?
 
I agree that there is a lack of existing pressure to secure the air near a grav equipped vessel, but there would be enough gravity to prevent 'explosive' decompression when the hanger doors open. A breeze to a wind depending on the extent of the field...don't leave the doors open too long. And would still be a good idea to use an airlock, though these could now be much simpler.
 
I don't know about the whole concept, really. I mean it might be technically possible, but I can't see the big bosses doing it. I reckon that companies in the future will be just like those of today in some respects. That's is, as far as money is concerned, they'll be as tight as a fishes bottom. The venting of anything into space unneccessarily would be frowned on as a waste of money. Especially something as neccessary as the air required for the Proles to work.

I reckon they'll stick to airlocks.
 
I don't think it will work and here's why. A passenger plane at 30,000ft has a 1G floor field (think of the Earth as its grav plate if you will) and if some one opens a door!!!
As to grav plates, in the CT ship write ups they were never rated at higher than 1G. I think it was DGP that said they could go up to 3G by some means of gravity amplification. It was TNE and T4 that included acceleration compensators of different ratings.
 
It was TNE and T4 that included acceleration compensators of different ratings
Really? I'm sure I saw something in one of the CT supplements about it. I used to have this really cool book all about the IISS. It had deck plans of air/rafts and stuff in it, and I'm sure it mentioned something about upgraded grav compensators... I don't have the book anymore - you know, one of those things you lend to someone, and then never see them or it again :mad: :mad:

BTW, if anyone reads this and remembers the book, let me know - I'd love to get my hands on a copy again. It was in the larger format, and had a colour cover...... thats all I can remember (yes, I know... as helpfull as an ashtray on a motorbike, aren't I
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From your description I think your book was either Grand Survey or Grand Census (most likely because it has the plans for the air/raft etc), both by DGP. They were combined to form the DGP book Worldbuilders Handbook for MT.
Hope this helps.
 
Back to this open to space shirt sleeve hanger idea. I wonder if the rapid launch facility isn't what you are looking for. I've always pictured it as a long tube sized for the craft to be launched and recovered with one end open to space (or wherever you are) and slightly flared and the other end open to your hanger deck(s). The tube is like an atmosphere with standard pressure at the "bottom" (the hanger deck(s)) and vacuum (or local atmosphere at the "top" (external end). Not sure exactly what to use to regulate the atmosphere in the tube, but maybe a series of rapid cycle synchronized iris valves would work.

For launching, the craft position themselves at the hanger end and "hook-up" for rapid acceleration down the tube.

For recovery the same rapid acceleration device is used to brake the incoming craft.

So no need to go invent new devices or rationalizations, just use this if it is feasible in the design.
 
a long tube sized for the craft to be launched and recovered with one end open to space (or wherever you are) and slightly flared and the other end open to your hanger deck(s). The tube is like an atmosphere with standard pressure at the "bottom" (the hanger deck(s)) and vacuum (or local atmosphere at the "top" (external end)
Do you mean like the launch tubes for the Viper fighters on Battlestar Galactica?
 
Take a look at the AHL (Azanti High Lightning). The launch deck has a pair of air locks for the fighter launch tubes. They are rotating vertical sleeves in line with the tubes, with iris valves at each end. This would keep the tube free of obstructions, other than what would be a linear accelerator.
 
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