Columbia (Individual Altair-class spacecraft)
Sarna News
- Bad ‘Mechs - Sentinel
- HEXTECH Review - Wave 3 Brings More Urban Options To Your Battlefield
- Your BattleTech News Round-Up For March, 2024
- Crashing 'Mechs With Jennifer Brozek, Author Of The Rogue Academy Trilogy
- Getting The Word Out With Rem Alternis, Catalyst Community & Marketing Director
- Read more →
| Columbia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vessel Profile | |
| Class | Altair |
AS Columbia was the first fusion-powered interplanetary spacecraft launched by the Western Alliance.[1]
History
The advent of fusion power in 2020, led to the first fusion-powered interplanetary spacecraft, the AS Columbia.
The Columbia was the fourth Altair class transport and even though she was already eight years old, she was refitted to use the newly developed fusion drive instead of the traditional chemical reaction propulsion systems of her sister ships, the AS Altair and AS Procyon. Using an "open-air" architecture allowed major components to be easily attached to the skeletal structure of the spacecraft. This allowed easy modifications for her experimental maiden voyage to Mars.
The AS Columbia launched with a crew of 12, from Crippen Station on October 12, 2027. Taking one-tenth the time of any previous ship, the AS Columbia reached Mars orbit in under 14 days.
The success of the Columbia led to the Magellan Program.
References
- ↑ DropShips and JumpShips, pp. 6-7