Columbia (Individual Altair-class spacecraft)
Sarna News
| Columbia | |
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| 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, in 2026 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''.[2] 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. In 3057, the Outworlds Alliance founded his first military academy, naming it Columbia Academy in honor of the pioneer ship.[3]