Space Station

(Redirected from Recharge Station)

Space Stations are (semi-)immobile facilities in space that fill many roles including zero-g production, habitation, and even defense. Many space stations orbit planets or moons, and can be categorized into several groups including low-orbit, geosynchronous-orbit, or stable-point.[1] Others are deep-space stations far from any planetary body; this is particularly true for recharge stations at jump points.

Classification[edit]

Although there is no formal classification of space stations, a few particularly common "classes" have emerged:

Cargo/Passenger Terminal[edit]

The most common type of space stations, they can be found either in planetary orbit or at the nadir/zenith jump point. Their primary purpose is to facilitate the transfer of goods and people between ships and the surface.[2]

Factory/Shipyard[edit]

Orbital factories and shipyards provide for the manufacture and maintenance of JumpShips and DropShips.[2]

Battle Stations[edit]

Carrying an impressive array of weaponry and facilities for the repair and launching of aerospace fighters and small craft, battle stations are primarily designed to defend a planet from attack, whether in planetary orbit or at a jump point. Most were destroyed during the course of the Succession Wars.[2]

Space Habitat[edit]

Most space habitats were constructed during the First Exodus to serve as stepping-stones for the exploration and terraforming of new worlds; in the succeeding centuries, many were abandoned and cannibalized for their parts and technology. Of those which remain, most are either in close planetary orbit or located at a Lagrangian point. The Clans built space habitats to house sibkos for their aerospace and naval bloodlines.[2]

Recharge Stations[edit]

Also known as a "jump station", these space stations are typically found at jump points, as their primary purpose is to recharge Kearny-Fuchida jump drives.[2] The most well-known of these is probably the Olympus class. Orbital stations with a capability to recharge jump drives may exist as well (the Cyclops I station Gobi in orbit around Outreach), presumably intended to service jump-capable vessels that - unlike regular JumpShips - can move from the jump point to the planet such as primitive JumpShips (before they used jump sails) or WarShips.

Recharge stations use solar collectors similar to jump sails and store the collected energy in power banks. A recharge station will typically hold four to six such banks, and each one can fully recharge the largest Kearny-Fuchida drive. While energy transfer is not instantaneous, it will still cut down idle recharging time for the valuable JumpShips, and possibly allow for simultaneous recharging of a drive core and a lithium-fusion battery.

The most common transfer method is for the energy to be beamed to the JumpShip via its jump sails, with full recharge taking 150 hours. This only makes sense at dim stars where it would otherwise take the JumpShip longer than 150 hours to recharge via its own jump sail though.

Another method involves the JumpShip physically connecting to the station, whereupon its drive can be quick-charged. This can theoretically damage or destroy the K-F drive as if the ship were to use its own power plant to quick-charge the drives,[3][4] but the overall risk is much reduced when using a jump station, and even the most cautious (and thus slowest) recharging in this fashion cuts down recharge time. The physical connection can be established by directly docking the JumpShip to the station, but the use of a cable connection is more common.

Space Station Production[edit]

Brand Planet Company
BattleSat Luthien BBP Industries
Capitol Galax Federated-Boeing Interstellar

Known stations[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Total Warfare, p. 26
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 BattleSpace, p. 21
  3. BattleSpace, p. 47
  4. DropShips and JumpShips - Operations Manual, p. 34
  5. Natural Selection, p. 315
  6. Dark Age Republic Worlds, p. 174
  7. Dark Age Republic Worlds, p. 174
  8. Double Blind, p. 75
  9. A Bonfire of Worlds, p. 177
  10. Jihad Conspiracies: Interstellar Players 2, p. 50
  11. Historical: War of 3039, p. 53
  12. Total Chaos, pp. 75–76: "Seed of Discontent"
  13. Double Blind, p. 159
  14. Objectives: The Clans, p. 34: "Goito"
  15. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 53
  16. Double Blind, p. 157
  17. Natural Selection, p. 209
  18. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 81: Gulf Breeze - Station mentioned
  19. Redemption Rift, p. 260
  20. Field Manual: Updates, p. 65
  21. Historical: War of 3039, p. 260
  22. Operation Excalibur, pp. 252–310
  23. Kill Zone Redemption Rift, p. 260
  24. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 109
  25. To Ride the Chimera, p. 13
  26. Double Blind, p. 49
  27. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 85
  28. Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 12
  29. Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 6
  30. Chaos March, p. 22
  31. Interstellar Expeditions: Interstellar Players 3, p. 71
  32. Double Blind, p. 157
  33. Interstellar Expeditions: Interstellar Players 3, p. 25
  34. Double Blind, p. 155
  35. Black Dragon, p. 121
  36. The Killing Fields, p. 134
  37. Blood of the Isle, p. 161
  38. Trial of Faith
  39. The Fall of Terra, p. 57
  40. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, p. 63: "Killing Aphrodite: Venus"
  41. Natural Selection, p. 195
  42. Kill Zone Redemption Rift, p. 260
  43. Natural Selection, p. 148

Bibliography[edit]