Design the ISS

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

Checking the weight of the ISS, a mere 420 tons, I wondered what would be the cheapest yet efficient fighter-hull that can stay a long time (say more than 5 years) active scanning a jump point. Extra conditions or challenges would be to detect FAC sized emerging from it, even if jump dispersion is large. It should also have a basic engine to coast at a leisure pace (no need to scoop it if near end of endurance, and you time that with another 'fighter' that would arrive before the first depart).

Is that possible without researching any tech beyond 10.000 RP? I would gladly use this design in fact ...

[Jorgen_CAB]

Something like this is cheap and effective I presume.

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Spy class Sensor Platform      280 tons       13 Crew       62.2 BP       TCS 6    TH 0    EM 0
1 km/s      No Armour       Shields 0-0     HTK 5      Sensors 8/8/0/0      DCR 1      PPV 0
MSP 139    Max Repair 16.0 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   


Active Search Sensor AS17-R20 (1)     GPS 320     Range 17.3m km    Resolution 20
Active Search Sensor AS6-R1 (1)     GPS 16     Range 6.4m km    MCR 574.5k km    Resolution 1
Thermal Sensor TH1.0-8.0 (1)     Sensitivity 8.0     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  22.4m km
EM Sensor EM1.0-8.0 (1)     Sensitivity 8.0     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  22.4m km

This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a Space Station for construction purposes

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

Indeed. No engine though, now it can last forever as a civilian ship but I find that a bit exploitive. I might not say that once I control 80 jump points though!

[Jorgen_CAB]

Indeed. No engine though, now it can last forever as a civilian ship but I find that a bit exploitive. I might not say that once I control 80 jump points though!

What is exploitative about a commercial space station?!?

You could do this all with probes even allot cheaper?!?

This would be more of a role-play thing where you have manned station to monitor and help civilian and military traffic through known space. Sort of like a control or traffic controller role.   

In my games I always set up small shuttle runs between commercial stations to represent the change and relief of crew about once a month or so... but that is pure role-play. Smallest most economically commercial engine I have, the smallest cargo hold and a passenger module. That is what I used to do in VB6 too.

This "little" station actually is like nine times larger than the ISS station so it is fairly big.

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

Nice about the shuttle to simulate crew relief.

What I find a bit exploitive is to have a civilian hull, so 3 months intended deployment stay 10 years in space. I would not like be one of these poor guys in a 420 tons structure.

Now, as I said, when you have 100 jump points and more to watch over, I guess this is a necessary evil. I went first with a military design, using fighter hull, to put a bigger sensor, but you don't need that big of a sensor to detect what exit a jump points.

[Jorgen_CAB]

Nice about the shuttle to simulate crew relief.

What I find a bit exploitive is to have a civilian hull, so 3 months intended deployment stay 10 years in space. I would not like be one of these poor guys in a 420 tons structure.

Now, as I said, when you have 100 jump points and more to watch over, I guess this is a necessary evil. I went first with a military design, using fighter hull, to put a bigger sensor, but you don't need that big of a sensor to detect what exit a jump points.

I never imagine that commercial crew stay more than a few months tops at any post before much needed "vacations" or going to a new job. It is like working on a merchant ship or an Oil rig today.

Also... 420t in Aurora is a volume equal to about 6000 metric tons. 20 crew probably can live in relative comfort for a few month in that size.

I also imagine that even military ships exchange some or part of their crew during each deployment phase too... they don't keep the same crew indefinitely, that is not realistic in any way at least not with human crews.

In my opinion there are nothing exploitative at all with having a 3 month deployment to commercial stations or ships as crew rotation on privately owned but government run vessels don't have the crew permanently living on them for very long.

[DFNewb]

Bomber - class Bomber      125 tons       2 Crew       30.2 BP       TCS 2    TH 13    EM 0
10031 km/s      Armour 1-2       Shields 0-0       HTK 1      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0      PPV 0.9
Maint Life 5.92 Years     MSP 20    AFR 25%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 1    5YR 15    Max Repair 18.75 MSP
Magazine 6   
StormBoy    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Morale Check Required   

Ion Drive  EP25.00 (1)    Power 25    Fuel Use 1073.31%    Signature 12.5    Explosion 20%
Fuel Capacity 4 000 Litres    Range 0.5 billion km (14 hours at full power)

Size 6.00 Box Launcher (1)     Missile Size: 6    Hangar Reload 122 minutes    MF Reload 20 hours
Missile Fire Control FC5-R1 (1)     Range 5.4m km    Resolution 1
ThornMKII Size 6 (1)    Speed: 29 167 km/s    End: 1.9m     Range: 3.3m km    WH: 10    Size: 6    TH: 136/81/40

Active Search Sensor AS2-R1 (1)     GPS 3     Range 2.7m km    MCR 244k km    Resolution 1

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction

Can sit for 5 years with it's actives on.

[SpikeTheHobbitMage]

The only advantage I see over sensor buoys is that this thing is upgradable.  If fighters could be refit with fighter factories then I'd even call it practical.

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

Your 125 tons bomber has 3 months deployment time, so for Aurora, spartan accommodation. If he sits 5 years on a spot, then realistically the 2 crew will have murdered themselves in the meantime.

I know that if we only talk about the game, then yes, your fighter will still active scan with a morale of 0%. But I like to role play things a bit  You basically have the weight of the Mir station, 130 tons, but most of it is used by weapon and engine I guess. So the accommodations are very sparse, definitively not for a long deployment in any case.

[Jorgen_CAB]

Your 125 tons bomber has 3 months deployment time, so for Aurora, spartan accommodation. If he sits 5 years on a spot, then realistically the 2 crew will have murdered themselves in the meantime.

I know that if we only talk about the game, then yes, your fighter will still active scan with a morale of 0%. But I like to role play things a bit  You basically have the weight of the Mir station, 130 tons, but most of it is used by weapon and engine I guess. So the accommodations are very sparse, definitively not for a long deployment in any case.

You do know though that the tonnage in Aurora is not ships or stations weight?

It is the volume where 1 ton of liquid Hydrogen displaces 14m^3 in volume. So the volume of a "fighter" at 130t is actually 1820 cubic meters. so it could be like 50 meters long and 6*6 meters wide and deep structure.

The actual mass or density of ships in Aurora is not important.   

Also that fighter will likely blow up long before five years is up... As the ship will have an increasing rate of failure every year and crew morale will make it much worse as it only have a deployment of 3 months. The moral of the crew will effect the maintenance failure roll too.

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

No I did not knew about the tonnage, it makes sense now you mention it!