Designing a TL11 NavSat...

[Flynn]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design a TL10 or TL11 automated navigation satellite, such as those used to mark interdiction zones, or provide information to incoming vessels of local astrophysical conditions that might impact system performance, etc?

Speculations, designs, and other thoughts are welcome.

Thanks,
Flynn

 

[Father Fletch]

Well the main question you need to ask your self is will it be armed or not. Otherwise it is simply "just another satellite" lots of antennae, receivers, batteries, solar panels, NTGs and other stuff. Likely placed in orbit by a tender craft, like a Donosev or Suliman, and capable of limited orbital self-corrections. Unless you really get jollies from designing it down to the pitch of each screw, I would recommend checking out
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/flash.html
For some TL 8-9 systems in current development and deployment.
http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Research/CSER/UOSAT/IJSSE/issue1/cjilla/cjilla.html
Gives some hard data ideas about real life trends
This page is from my alma mater!
http://www.aa.washington.edu/
http://www.aa.washington.edu/research/student_projects/translife/
So unless you are looking for ideas about how to use the T20 vehicle design rules I would suggest those pages to get a start.
As for using T20 vehicle design rules, I would make something with a Big Ass computer, lots of radio, maser, radar, and lidar installs and some long duration battery/solar panel. No means of mobility, ‘cept maybe little orbital correction jets/thrusters. Bamf, there you are, one satellite.

 

[shield]

If you are looking for armed interdiction sats, there was one in the old IISS ship files (stats also in the BITs adventure Delta 3 is down), and there was another one in the old High Passage Magazine (Issue 3?). There is a TNE version of it in the BARD pages undervehicles. BARD also has some satellites.

Cheers
Richard