Starship
A starship is the name given to a spacecraft designed for travel between different planets. They are used by societies to travel between star systems and explore the galaxy. Starships vary on size and shape, depending on manufacturer and mission parameters.
In the universe of Starship Simulator, starships have been fully realised by humans by the 2260s. Organisations such as the United Nations Space Fleet and Lunara creating the first faster-than-light vessels to explore the galaxy.
Features
Architecture
Starships are designed primarily to travel in space and make long journeys over long amounts of time. Most are designed to a specific framework, which defines the shape of the vessel and number of decks. The framework determines where rooms are placed, and is used as an attachment point for panels both internally and externally.
The exterior consists of an airtight hull, designed to protect the interior from the vacuum of space and maintain living conditions inside the vessel. These primarily include hull plating, designed to withstand collisions with debris and attacks from other vessels. Windows are also placed around the ship. Entry into a starship is often constricted to airlocks or shuttle bays to maintain interior environment.
The interior of the ship is divided into decks, including floor, ceiling and bulkheads. The latter maintains the ship's internal shape and integrity whilst navigating the galaxy. Each deck is separated into multiple compartments (rooms) that house facilities for either ship operations or crew recreation. Most are accessible via a corridor. On some ships, the outer corridors contain maintenance tunnels for engineers to access outer ship systems safely. The layout of decks depends on the ship's framework design, with some like the Caravella-class featuring narrow corridors, whilst larger vessels like the Magellan-class implementing ring corridors around a central point.
Propulsion Systems
Starships are designed with large RTS thrusters at the back of the vessel to propel the ship forward. This provides the necessary thrust to move the ship and are adapted to work within the vacuum of space. Additional thrusters are expected to be placed around the ship, allowing the ship to change direction and perspective.
Some starships are capable of faster-than-light (FTL) travel, with humans utilising Alcubierre Drive technology. This takes the form of a large circular structure surrounding the centre of the vessel, with smaller conduits moving around it at the fixed point. Currently, only Magellan-class and Caravella-class vessels are equipped with this technology.
Technology
- Main: Ship Systems
The technology of a starship varies depending on the class and features. Starships require power sources such as a Fusion Reactor to provide electrical energy to their systems, and a Power Distrubution system to provide it to the other ship systems. Utilities are expected to ensure the power source remains functional, such as Cryogenic Storage to safely store fuel like Helium-3 and Deuterium. On manned starships, life support systems will be provided to make the ship's environment suitable for the crew.
Manned starships will feature a Bridge where the ship's travel and status can be monitored by command staff. Ship directions and speed are controlled through the Helm. Most starships will feature sensors, through which the ship can detect points of interest to navigate to and take detailed surveys of celestial objects such as stars, planets and their systems. Starships are also expected to be equipped with communications systems to contact either their commissioned organisation, other starships or other diplomatic entities. Tactical systems, such as weapons and defence systems, are also expected to feature, in case the ship engages with a hostile species or requires a violent approach to situations.