Long Distance Travel

[ThunderChilde]

The higher tech means greater reliability, but a lot of "black-boxing" of components. Less maintenance, overall. Easier maintenance. Costly parts when it does break.

When "it needs fixed," it is a pricier repair that involves a lot of expense, but not that much equipment or skill at the user level. Laying up these parts: pricey. The benefit, easy fix in the field, and the parts will hold some value if not used.

That does not need be the case at all. If you are referring to automibiles as an example, you are both right and wrong, and they are a poor analygy.

Black boxing is done for several reseasons, firstly, lower cost and simplified assembly. Secondary concerns are additional revenue streams from parts sales. Starships would not hew to that line as far as I can reason, ease of mainence would also mean components that could be refurbished or repaired in an expedient situation.

Look at computers, electrical components, UPS systems, Big Iron Mainframes etc. Eminently servicable, IBM mainframes from the '60's are still in service beacause they were engineered to be maintained, not replaced in 6-10 years like the typical automobile. All it takes is a design philosophy and regulations that any Vilani would praise for servicability and long life cycle.

To a certain extent, you can't compare autos to Aircraft, and Electronics in the IC age cannot be helped but to be black box modules. Theyed just be tremendously more reliable 3,700 years in the future.

That is what we are talking about after all. And for the Vilani, far, far longer since they went to the stars.