Snowden (Space Station class)
Sarna News
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| Snowden Mining Station | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Taurus Majoris Mining[See Notes] |
| Type | Space Station |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Cost | 4,383,284,000 C-bills[1] |
| Introduced | 2390 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 51,000 tons |
| Length | 650 meters |
| Width | 300 meters |
| Thrust | Station Keeping Only |
| Fuel (tons) | 510 tons |
| Fuel (days) | 0.977 |
| LF battery | None |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | 166 tons standard |
| Structural Integrity | 1 |
| Docking Collars | None |
| Crew/Passengers | 94
Marines: 90 |
| Grav Decks | 2 (250 meters and 150 meters diameter) |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 0 / 150 |
| Heat Sinks | 79 single |
| BV (1.0) | |
| BV (2.0) | 2,798[2] |
Contents
Description[edit]
The Snowden-class Mining Station was created by the Taurian Concordat in 2390 to help exploit the mining riches of that realm. The station is designed to be semi-mobile, with the ability to be attached to a JumpShip and moved where it is needed. The station has been given the name of "Biker Station" due to its two Gravity Decks that give the station the appearance of a bicycle.
The Snowden was developed when tensions were rising with the Concordat's Davion neighbors. The station was designed with a considerable amount of armor and weaponry despite its civilian employment as a mining station.
The Succession Wars era removed the ability to construct the Snowden; however, eighteen of the stations were still maintained in the Concordat with the help of spare parts factories. These stations are under the control of Taurus Majoris Mining.[2]
Weapons and Equipment[edit]
The station has a considerable array of laser weaponry to protect itself from attack. These include four paired large lasers mounted in forward and rear arcs. The station also has a single PPC found in each of its forward side sections. A large array of medium lasers have been employed to protect the forward and aft sides of the Snowden. Paired small lasers round out the station's protection being found in all sections of the station except for the aft-sides.
The Snowden is protected by 166 tons of standard armor. However, due to its civilian nature, the internal structure is extremely vulnerable should anything get through the station's armor.
The typical version of the station employs 30 space-capable IndustrialMechs, notably the Space Hound Prospector 'Mech.
The station has repair facilities capable of repairing spacecraft weighing up to 15,000 tons.[2]
The station's most notable equipment is its KF-Boom, which allows the station to be docked to a JumpShip to be transported to a new solar system in one piece instead of being dismantled.[3]
Cargo[edit]
- Bay 1 - IndustrialMechs (30)
- Cargo (5,000 tons), 4 doors
- Bay 2 - Small Craft (22)
- Cargo (5,000 tons), 3 doors
- Bay 3 - Pressurized Repair Facilities (5,000 ton capacity), 1 door
- Bay 4 - Unpressurized Repair Facilities (15,000 ton capacity, 1 door
- Bay 5 - Cargo (7,706 tons), 0 doors
- Cargo (7,706 tons)
- Bay 6 - Ore Processing Equipment (6,000 tons), 0 doors
Variants[edit]
- Snowden Mining Station Mk.I -The original version of the Snowden. Instead of holding IndustrialMechs, Bay 1 was used to launch 15 additional Small Craft in support of the station's activities. Bay 2's Small Craft complement was originally 20 Small Craft instead of the modern version's 22 Craft capacity. Also, Bay 2 had a lesser weight capacity of 4,400 tons. The most noted feature of the Mark 1 is its K-F Boom. The K-F Boom allows the station to attach to JumpShips and be transported. BV (2.0) = 2,798.[4]
Named Stations[edit]
- Snowden - The namesake of the Class, the first station was launched on 10 August 2390 when it was deployed to the Hyades Cluster. One of the eighteen stations that survived to 3067.[2]
Notes[edit]
- ^ The Snowden's description in Handbook: Major Periphery States states it is operated and maintained by Taurus Majoris Metals.[2] This is likely in error, as it's referred to as the Concordat's largest mining concern which is already attributed to Taurus Majoris Mining.
- The Snowden, featured in the article in Historical: Major Periphery States is considered to be the modern version of the Snowden class. Unlike the earlier Mark 1, modern Snowdens lack the KF-Boom, which makes it impossible for it to link to a JumpShip for transport to a new destination. The original author confirmed that the Snowden is supposed to have a KF-Boom as part of its equipment.[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 222: "Snowden Mining Station Record Sheet"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 204: "Snowden Mining Station"
- ↑ Author confirms modern Snowden or Mark II is supposed to have a KF-Boom on the Record Sheet.[dead link]
- ↑ Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 223: Snowden Mining Station Mk 1 - The original version of the Snowden, with larger small craft capacities.
- ↑ Snowden mobility question answered by the BattleTech writing staff.[dead link]