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  Author    Best New Drive  (currently 900 views)
Commander Drax
Posted on: August 7th, 2006, 3:15pm Quote Report to Moderator
Team Member Arch Duke




I'll think of something cool one day...


Posts: 339
Not technically, although I see what you mean!  What about an advanced mag lev thurster, something that interacts with the local magnetic field to provide lift, of course it would be useless away from any world with a magetic field.  Hence deep space rated ships would'nt have them but the interface craft would.
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Plankowner
Posted on: August 7th, 2006, 5:52pm Quote Report to Moderator
Baron


Posts: 33
OK, as mentioned above I have tried to stat out a Lander that doesn't use Gravitics.  I have based most of my assumptions on current research into high thrust engines for Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) type of designs as replacements for the Space Shuttle.  I think anything other than an SSTO is counter to what would be expected for a Lander on a Starship.  Also, accelleration is limited to a constant of 3Gs due to human limitations.  If robotic vessels are built, higher accellerations are possible.

Costs are very flexible, but I was trying to look at the engine design.

TL 6: Multi-Stage Rockets only with 95% of the vessel is used for engines and fuel.  Typically liquid fuel rockets using Kerosene/Oxygen or equivalent.

TL 7: Reusable Rocket Designs, but they still require multiple stages or "Drop Tanks" to reach orbit.  90% of the vessel is engines and fuel.

TL 8: True SSTO designs are possible.  Typically a multi-engine design is used with Air-Breathing Turbofan designs for slow speed, transitioning into SCRAMJET (Super-Sonic Combustion Ramjets) at high altitude and velocity, then rocket assist into planetary orbit.  Short Take Off and Landing is the most common design, but Short Take-off Glider Landing is also used early in the TL.  75% of the vessel is engines and fuel.  Mixed fuels are initially used but as the Technology matures Hydrogen fuel becomes the standard for all engine/rocket designs.

TL 9: SSTO is standard with an integrated 2-phase engine that can use Hydrogen/Oxygen as it's standard but can be easily adapted to use Methane or other combustables with minimal modifications made by the crew.  60% of the vessel is Engines and Fuel.

TL 10: Improvements in the engine/fuel designs allow 50% of the vessel to be engines and fuel.  Integration of the Landing Engines and the Maneuver Drive (Fusion Drive) allow for continued synergistic designs.

TL 11: Fully integrated Landing Engines and Maneuver Drive require only 40% of the vessel to be Engines and Fuel.  Landers are capable of limited interplanetary travel.

TL 12: Artificial Gravity designs make the Lander obsolete almost overnight.

OK, now the Specs.  In Traveller terms this design would be for a combined Engine and Powerplant:

TL   %Size   Cost/Ton (MCR)   Fuel %
6      25%        5.0                    70%
7      20%        4.0                    70%
8      15%        3.0                    60%
9      10%        2.5                    50%
10    10%        2.0                    40%
11    10%        1.5                    30%

There is no minimum engine size but you must design the rest of the vessel (using the design system of your choice) and then ensure the engine will lift it.

Fuel is given for 1 complete cycle:  1 Takeoff and 1 Landing.  80% of the fuel is used during the takeoff portion of the cycle.  At TL 8+, any of the Landers can be glided to a "safe" landing, but the vessel will probably be destroyed in the process.  This is probably not realistic, but matches the cinematic version of "crashed ships".
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William Mandella
Posted on: August 7th, 2006, 10:24pm Quote Report to Moderator
Baron


Posts: 11
Wikipedia has a wealth of information on rockets, including a detailed explanation of the Tsiolkovsky's Rocket Equation:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_equation


and, of the specific impulse of a propulsion system:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_impulse


One of my biggest peeves with Traveller is that spaceship MASS does not figure into maneuver/propulsion.  The classic evasive maneuver of dumping fuel and/or cargo is completely unnecessary in Traveller.
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Bromgrev
Posted on: October 6th, 2006, 11:23am Quote Report to Moderator
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Not a drive, but a launch system:

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn10180
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buckstab
Posted on: September 4th, 2010, 12:08am Quote Report to Moderator
Count


Posts: 72
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