Airlock
An airlock is a device used to allow passage between environments of different gases or different pressures.
- Ship equipment
Description (Specifications)
An airlock is a small compartment with its own isolated environmental systems and parallel sets of doors. It permits movement between areas at different pressures or experiencing different environmental conditions.
Airlocks are typically designed to hold one or more individual sophonts and usually allow for additional bulk, such as Environment Suits or Vacc Suits and any associated equipment such as PLSS gear. Larger races such as K'kree or Virushi utilize correspondingly larger airlocks.
- A standard human-sized airlock has a volume of 7m³ (0.5 Tons).
- Airlocks may have hatches or doors or may utilize iris valves.
- some airlocks may contain three or more sets of doors, typically to give a staged progress and thus allow hazards, contaminants or pathogens to be eliminated.
Starships and bigcraft usually have at least one airlock. Smallcraft are assumed by default not to have an airlock, but may be fitted with one.
Docking Tubes
All spacecraft airlocks include flexible docking tubes that allow passengers to cross from one ship to another. Docking tubes are designed to link airlocks together. Most are constructed from plastics and similar materials and are flexible. Vessels such as Passenger Liners sometimes utilize rigid, articulated docking tubes that include grav plates to facilitate the ease and comfort of guests.
- A docking tube may be rapidly released in an emergency.
Breaching Tubes
Military vessels may have a breaching tube. This apparatus functions similarly to a docking tube, but the docking collar contains powerful attachment mechanisms capable of latching onto a variety of surfaces and contains inherent plasma cutters. Breaching tubes are generally armored.
- If a breaching tube attaches to an airlock it may rapidly cut an opening. If it attaches to an exterior area of the hull it may still cut through, but the process takes longer.
- A breaching tube may be rapidly released in an emergency.
History & Background (Dossier)
Early designs of airlock are most commonly found aboard watercraft and submersibles or used in environmental applications such as building entrances. More sophisticated designs, generally made of lighter materials, are occasionally used aboard aircraft. Airlocks may also be used in Environmental Tanks (such as hyperbaric chambers or medical quarantine zones). They may also be used to enter clean rooms, typically within industrial facilities were dirt or other particulate material may affect delicate manufacturing processes.
Airlocks are most commonly encountered aboard spacecraft and starships. Vessels with a well-equipped ship's locker may have an emergency portable airlock.
References & Contributors (Sources)
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- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science