Mongoose 2300AD: 200 ton survey scout, TL10

[Brandon C]

This is my first design for 2300AD, so bear with me if I made any mistakes
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Survey scout, 200 ton, TL10

The survey scout was an early exploration ship that proved unsuccessful, primarily because it was asked to do too much. Rather than carry a lander to investigate the surface of worlds, it was required that the ship be able to land and take off without assistance.

It uses a hybrid lifting body with VTOL to accomplish this. It's thrusters are capable of 2G for 10 hours. It's MHD turbine can operate for 360 hours (15 days) before it must be refuelled. The stutterwarp efficiency is a ponderous 1.07. A model 4 computer is installed and survey sensors are provided.

The survey scout carries a standard crew of 14 (seven bridge, two engineers, one steward and four scientists/surveyors, although the latter number can be doubled if required. Three labs, a library, briefing room and two autodocs are included. Gravity is generated via two retractable spin capsules (capsule one contains 8 staterooms, library, both autodocs, and three tons of cargo and capsule two contains six staterooms, three labs and the briefing room). Comfort level is +2 (+1 if more than four scientists/surveyors are carried)

Two PDCs are installed in jack turrets (mount one fires 1,2,3, mount two fires 4,5,6). 3.3 tons of additional cargo is carried in the main hull. Commonly, the cargo holds contain an inflatable base, a fuel station and two personal ATVs.

The ship was not made in large numbers and it proved unpopular and unsuccessful. A few still turn up in use by small governments or foundations who can't afford a better or more modern design

Cost is MLv 67.24.

 

[Brandon C]

It turns out I made a rather serious spreadsheet error, which failed to account for the VTOL volume. Here is the revised design.

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Survey scout, 200 ton, TL10, v1.1

The survey scout was an early exploration ship that proved unsuccessful, primarily because it was asked to do too much. Rather than carry a lander to investigate the surface of worlds, it was required that the ship be able to land and take off without assistance.

It uses a hybrid lifting body with VTOL to accomplish this. Using Thruster B, Stutterwarp B and MHD turbine B, the survey scout is capable of 2G for 7 hours and a leisurely 1.07 ly/day It's MHD turbine can operate for 336 hours (14 days) before it must be refuelled. Standard radiators are installed. A model 4 computer is installed and survey sensors are provided.

The survey scout carries a standard crew of 14 (seven bridge, two engineers, one steward and four scientists/surveyor) although the number of scientists/surveyors can be doubled if required. Two labs, a library, briefing room and two autodocs are included. Gravity (up to 0.26G) is generated via two retractable spin capsules (capsule one contains eight staterooms, both autodocs, and three tons of cargo and capsule two contains six staterooms, two labs and the briefing room). Comfort level is +1 (+0 if more than four scientists/surveyors are carried). Five tons of additional cargo is carried in the main hull and 20 probe drones. Commonly, the cargo holds contain an inflatable base, a fuel station and two personal ATVs, as well as 5 tons of personal gear (ship's locker).

The ship was not made in large numbers and it proved unpopular and unsuccessful. A few still turn up in use by small governments or foundations who can't afford a better or more modern design

Cost is MLv 48.96.

 

[McPerth]

The first thing I think about this design is that 14 days endurance is nothing for a survey ship. Remember that, at difference of Standard Traveller, there is no wilderness refuelling in 2300AD setting...

One option would be to use fuel cells instead of MHD, as you can recover the water resulting on the power production and latter crack it (by using solar panels) into fuel again, but this will not allow you to use the thrusters, having to use another reaction drive to land/take off (I'd suggest air breathing rocket).

 

[Brandon C]

The first thing I think about this design is that 14 days endurance is nothing for a survey ship. Remember that, at difference of Standard Traveller, there is no wilderness refuelling in 2300AD setting...

Actually, there is, but not gas giant skimming. I did have two fuel processors in the design (left over from when the spreadsheet was for MgT ships) but I forgot to list it. However, it is unclear how man solar panels it requires; the table and example for solar panels don't match. In any case, reducing thruster fuel to 5 hours (sufficient for 1G worlds) allows fuel for the power plant fuel to go up to 672 hours (28 days). This is still a but low, but now useful. Cargo outside of the spin capsules drops from 5 tons to 2.6 tons.

 

[McPerth]

Actually, there is, but not gas giant skimming. I did have two fuel processors in the design (left over from when the spreadsheet was for MgT ships) but I forgot to list it. However, it is unclear how man solar panels it requires; the table and example for solar panels don't match. In any case, reducing thruster fuel to 5 hours (sufficient for 1G worlds) allows fuel for the power plant fuel to go up to 672 hours (28 days). This is still a but low, but now useful. Cargo outside of the spin capsules drops from 5 tons to 2.6 tons.

You're right about being possible (though uncommon), by cracking water or ice, and, as I understand the rules and design sequence, no pocessors are needed.

About solar pannels, you're right again, the table (and rules) and the example don't match, so I'd go for what rules say: 1 cell per 50 tons (so 4 in this 200 ton ship, requiring 1 dton) to keep minimal power (station keepin, life support, and survey). This would be enough if the ship intends to be in orbit for surveying, as it would give power for as long as needed.

Once they land, and assuming the world has water, they can be used to crack fuel (though it's not explicited the time required, but probably less than for the survey ).

 

[Brandon C]

You're right about being possible (though uncommon), by cracking water or ice, and, as I understand the rules and design sequence, no pocessors are needed.

Fuel processors are described on p.209. A one ton processor converts 10 tons of water to 10 tons of fuel every 24 hours.

Although on p.201, in the text above the fuel cells table, it mentions requiring a solar array (panel?) to process water recovered from a closed cycle fuel cell, but no mention of an actual fuel processor.

About solar pannels, you're right again, the table (and rules) and the example don't match, so I'd go for what rules say: 1 cell per 50 tons (so 4 in this 200 ton ship, requiring 1 dton) to keep minimal power (station keepin, life support, and survey). This would be enough if the ship intends to be in orbit for surveying, as it would give power for as long as needed.

And neither set of stats match the two spacecraft with solar panels, the SSV-21 or space station.

Once they land, and assuming the world has water, they can be used to crack fuel (though it's not explicited the time required, but probably less than for the survey ).

One processor, with sufficient water, could completely refuel this ship in about 4 days.

 

[McPerth]

Fuel processors are described on p.209. A one ton processor converts 10 tons of water to 10 tons of fuel every 24 hours.

Although on p.201, in the text above the fuel cells table, it mentions requiring a solar array (panel?) to process water recovered from a closed cycle fuel cell, but no mention of an actual fuel processor.

One processor, with sufficient water, could completely refuel this ship in about 4 days.

You're right, I must have skipped them. After all, the only ship I designed with this system was the Steer Wheel Warp Frame and Barges (link available in my blog), and that was two yars ago...

And neither set of stats match the two spacecraft with solar panels, the SSV-21 or space station.

True, that's something that should be fixed...

As the information about them is contradictory (see that those designs don't matche neither the rules and table, nor the example), I'd go with the rules and table, until errata fixes it (in the current errata, dated two years ago, ther's nothing about that).

Some more comments:

While I guess you put them on your ship, no reference is given to the radiators, something important in 2300AD ships.

This is not applicable to your fixed design, but see that in 2300AD it is quite rare for non-military ships to be armed. In fact I don't remember any oficial design to be (albein in Classic 2300 Ships of the French Arm there's some reference to them to be armed, usually with submunitions, while the Kaffer War, but MgT 2300AD is set before that). In any case, those PDC will require a larger power plant (unless you want your speed affected), sa they are energy weapons, and they are TL12 (but when you designed your fist stretch you haven't found them in the rules, so you did not know that )

 

[Brandon C]

While I guess you put them on your ship, no reference is given to the radiators, something important in 2300AD ships.

v1.1 has them listed, although I refer to them as "standard radiators" rather than "Radiators B"

This is not applicable to your fixed design, but see that in 2300AD it is quite rare for non-military ships to be armed. In fact I don't remember any oficial design to be (albein in Classic 2300 Ships of the French Arm there's some reference to them to be armed, usually with submunitions, while the Kaffer War, but MgT 2300AD is set before that). In any case, those PDC will require a larger power plant (unless you want your speed affected), sa they are energy weapons, and they are TL12 (but when you designed your fist stretch you haven't found them in the rules, so you did not know that )

It is rather unfortunate, since they are the closest things to sandcasters in the setting (oh, there are the military screens, but they would be more of an issue for a civilian ship). Of course, what makes civilian ships unarmed also makes piracy (in the Traveller sense) less likely, despite an entry for it in the starship encounter tables.

 

[McPerth]

It is rather unfortunate, since they are the closest things to sandcasters in the setting (oh, there are the military screens, but they would be more of an issue for a civilian ship). Of course, what makes civilian ships unarmed also makes piracy (in the Traveller sense) less likely, despite an entry for it in the starship encounter tables.

IMHO what makes piracy a rare ocurence in 2300AD setting is:

• the scarcity of spaceships, what impies enough control to probably note any ship`tuning pirate
• same about shipyards capable of building them. Any ship built is accounted for
• same for trained spacechip personnel
• control over tantalum as strategic material, without wich no starship may be built

Even so, there is some, and some Challenge articles (all for classic 2300AD, but I guess the ycan be assumed to be more or less true in MgT 2300AD too):

• The sweet trade in Space: piracy (issue #41)
• Catch & Carry team (issue #45)
• SAMN (relating more to efforts to fight it, Issue #56)

And maybe others I cannot remember about right now...