Worldbooker class Survey Ship/meta
Worldbooker class Survey Ship
This ship and its survey drones were first created using Mongoose Traveller Second Edition rules. Ship and vehicle stats are presented below, with consent of the author.
Worldbooker-class survey ship, TL-14 Maintenance: 26,079 credits/month crew: pilot, astrogator, engineer, 16 scientists MCr: 312.946 Excess power (not including J-drive): 6 System_________________________________________________________tons__MCr_____power Streamlined hull (160 hull points)_____________________________-400__24______80 Jump-2 drive (3*reduced fuel)__________________________________25____56.25___80 Thrust-2 maneuver drive (3*energy efficient)___________________8_____24______20 Fusion reactor_________________________________________________8_____8_______-120 Fuel (jump-2 + 4 weeks' operation)_____________________________69____0_______0 Fuel processors (20 tons/day)__________________________________1_____0.05____1 Fuel scoop (from streamlining)_________________________________0_____0_______0 Scientific operations suite (planetary survey, 16 scientists)__48____38.4____5 Small bridge___________________________________________________10____2_______0 4 docking spaces (survey drones)_______________________________116___28.75___0 4 survey drones________________________________________________0_____62.596__0 19 staterooms__________________________________________________76____9.5_____0 Common area____________________________________________________19____1.9_____0 Improved sensors_______________________________________________3_____4.3_____4 Enhanced signal processing_____________________________________2_____8_______2 Life scanner analysis suite____________________________________1_____4_______1 Shallow penetration suite______________________________________10____5_______1 Cargo__________________________________________________________4_____0_______0 Computer/30____________________________________________________0_____20______0 Software: library______________________________________________0_____0_______0 Software: maneuver/0___________________________________________0_____0_______0 Software: jump control/2_______________________________________0_____0.2_____0 Software: mentor/3_____________________________________________0_____4_______0 Software: research assist/3____________________________________0_____5_______0 Software: planetology/3________________________________________0_____7_______0 TL-14 survey drone MCr: 15.649 armor: 4 underwater agility: -1 air agility: -2 shipping: 26 crew: 0 passengers: 0 cargo: 0.5 hull: 156 front/back armor: 4 side/top/bottom armor: 3 underwater range (cruise): 3000 (4500) air range (cruise): 1500 (2250) safe depth: 2 km crush depth: 6 km underwater speed (cruise): subsonic (very fast) air speed (cruise): very fast (fast) System_____________________________________________spaces__MCr heavy submersible hull w/supercavitating drive_____-52_____5.2 supercavitating drive______________________________10______1.3 fuel efficient_____________________________________0_______1.625 auxiliary grav drive_______________________________13______6.5 advanced control system____________________________0_______0.025 atmospheric sampler________________________________3_______0.0 1 geological sampler_________________________________15______0. 1 hydrographic sampler_______________________________5_______0.01 manipulator arm____________________________________2_______0.0 15 advanced communications system (100,000 km range)__0_______0.001 satellite uplink___________________________________1_______0 .001 advanced sensors (2500 km range)___________________0_______0.1 advanced sensors (underwater, 1250 km range)_______0_______0.2 advanced camouflage________________________________0_______0.01 cargo______________________________________________0.5_____0 actuation__________________________________________2_______0.002 advanced control interface_________________________0.5_____0.05 very advanced robot brain__________________________0_______0.5
The round trip to and from orbit typically consumes a third of the survey drone's range, so a survey drone's effective range near the surface is only 1000 (1500). While the survey drones are refueled from the Worldbooker's fuel tanks, meaning that multiple round trips might eventually deplete the Worldbooker's fuel supply, almost all surveys will be of planets with some water (or at least ice) the Worldbooker can refuel from. (If there is no water or ice available, the planet is unlikely to have been found interesting enough to warrant a Worldbooker's visit in the first place - and even if it was, there is unlikely to be a large enough variety of biology to need several round trips.)