I love role playing out really, really early conventional ships like shuttles to start exploring the Sol System and defending against imagined alien attacks. Below are some of my early designs from my last campaign, but I'd love to see some of yours too!
The Sagan Class is small and durable, able to travel at 136km per second and can transport small teams of experts to other planets.
Sagan class Shuttle 365 tons 8 Crew 44.5 BP TCS 7.3 TH 1 EM 0
136 km/s Armour 1-4 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Life 86.71 Years MSP 76 AFR 1% IFR 0% 1YR 0 5YR 0 Max Repair 5 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 80 months Spare Berths 5
0.6 EP Conventional Engine (1) Power 0.6 Fuel Use 97% Signature 0.6 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 60 000 Litres Range 30.3 billion km (2577 days at full power)
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
Naval engineers draw up a design for a geological survey ship with current technologies. It's not ideal, but it might work. It's not possible to design a shuttle larger than 500 tons - the challenges of creating a craft that can survive in both deep space and in atmosphere at high speeds are simply too great. And there's not quite enough room on the ships for adequate engines, life support, the bulky sensors, and decent engineering space. So the engineering space had to go. That leaves a functional, but dangerous shuttle suitable only for surveying Luna, Mars, and perhaps a few other bodies.
Kaskuh class Shuttle 475 tons 12 Crew 117.4 BP TCS 9.5 TH 1 EM 0
105 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/1 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 0 Years MSP 0 AFR 95% IFR 1.3% 1YR 44 5YR 667 Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 1
0.51 EP Conventional Engine (1) Power 0.51 Fuel Use 64.61% Signature 0.51 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 10 000 Litres Range 5.9 billion km (644 days at full power)
Geological Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
The development of nuclear thermal engines leads to the design of a new geological survey shuttle that is very durable with long deployment time, maintenance life, and fuel reserves, with still almost 4 times the speed of its predecessor.
Anders class Geosurvey Shuttle 500 tons 16 Crew 141.4 BP TCS 10 TH 4 EM 0
400 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/1 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Life 17.96 Years MSP 177 AFR 2% IFR 0% 1YR 1 5YR 16 Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 40 months Spare Berths 0
4 EP Nuclear Thermal Engine (1) Power 4 Fuel Use 56.67% Signature 4 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 50 000 Litres Range 31.8 billion km (919 days at full power)
Geological Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
The vessel is named after one of humanity's first visitors to the moon. Eight members of the class are laid down and will be produced in sequence to survey the many bodies of the inner solar system.
Admiral Conor Lawrence of Fleet Command also notes the value of creating training fighters to develop the skills of pilots and to build morale. The navy has already lost many promising officers to the private sector as they wait for a true space-based navy to be designed and built.
The Frogfoot Trainer craft is deigned with many elements from the Anders shuttle, minus the bulky survey sensors. It's an even sturdier craft and can travel at an incredible 1000 km/s.
Frogfoot class Trainer 200 tons 6 Crew 33 BP TCS 4 TH 4 EM 0
1000 km/s Armour 1-3 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Life 0 Years MSP 103 AFR 0% IFR 0% 1YR 0 5YR 0 Max Repair 6 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 72 months Spare Berths 0
4 EP Nuclear Thermal Engine (1) Power 4 Fuel Use 56.67% Signature 4 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 50 000 Litres Range 79.4 billion km (919 days at full power)
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
With advancements in Gauss cannon research and nuclear pulse engines, Fleet Command introduces a design for the Mauler class Armed Shuttle. It has a trio of nuclear pulse engines, a 18.2b km range, extra armor, and a gauss cannon, as well as its own small active sensor. The shuttle is incredibly fast at 2400 km/s and is humanity's first space combat vessel. It's thought to be an effective point defense asset and is the first example of real force projection power within the Sol system.
Mauler class Armed Shuttle 500 tons 13 Crew 61.2 BP TCS 10 TH 24 EM 0
2400 km/s Armour 2-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 3
Maint Life 23.81 Years MSP 38 AFR 4% IFR 0.1% 1YR 0 5YR 2 Max Repair 8 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 48 months Spare Berths 0
8 EP Nuclear Pulse Engine (3) Power 8 Fuel Use 79.2% Signature 8 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 40 000 Litres Range 18.2 billion km (87 days at full power)
Gauss Cannon R1-50 (1) Range 10 000km TS: 2400 km/s Power 0-0 RM 1 ROF 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S00.2 10-625 (FTR) (1) Max Range: 20 000 km TS: 2500 km/s 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Active Search Sensor MR0-R50 (1) GPS 60 Range 420k km Resolution 50
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
The Le Moyne administration approves construction of one squadron of 8 maulers which will be available in 4 months, likely to be followed by additional squadrons.