The Pegasus

Formerly the play-by-post forum for my TSGS Space Force game, now the private forum for development of the new Space Force Science Fiction RPG game. I've retained the entirety of the original game threads here, to be mined for possible content. See the introductory post for more information.
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Solomoriah
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The Pegasus

Post by Solomoriah »

SAS Pegasus
SR 1409
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So here's my first take on the deck plan. If you want to see the whole thing, click here.
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The Pegasus

Post by Solomoriah »

Did you read the backstory, Hyway? Gravity plating was one of the things successfully reproduced by humans... although, like the graviton accelerator, we don't really understand it.

Nova class ships are the smallest craft that can carry a working graviton accelerator. The earlier Scorpius class were larger, but whereas only six of them were built, there are already a dozen Nova class ships either in service or being built. Your ship is the ninth.

There is no "science station" per se. Stop thinking Star Trek... there are no "sensor arrays," just instruments, some of them remotely operated, some handled by the scientist directly. The station behind the pilot (on the port side of the bridge) provides both weapons control and control of the remote instruments; not surprising, as it was originally intended as the probe control station.

All seats are bolted down, have locking swivels, and are equipped as acceleration couches. The beds in the crew quarters are two-tier bunkbeds (note the pillars at the corners).

I did miss the restroom/shower facility; it should probably be adjacent to the weapons locker. I may or may not get around to redrawing it.

No room for a sickbay, but given the small crew size, the fact that you got a doctor at all is pretty amazing.

All the items in the ship's stores are secured with nets to prevent shifting of the load.

The reactor is a fission unit which provides power for the plasma drive; the liquid argon fuel tanks are situated below the floor, along with the graviton accelerator (which runs from the reactor to the nose of the ship, and is accessible by removing floor plates in the central walkway). In a pinch, the plasma drive can be refueled with other gasses, but argon is preferred as the plasma igniter is tuned specifically for it.

You've all listed rations, but you don't need to worry about that... the ship is equipped for about three times as long as your planned mission should require.

Oh, and while on a mission you are basically out of communication. If the Martians had faster-than-light communication, Earthmen haven't puzzled it out yet... the only way to phone home is to go home, or to launch a probe rocket through a wormhole.

About the name of the ship... how does Pegasus grab everyone?
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Hywaywolf
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Re: The Pegasus

Post by Hywaywolf »

Ok, I read it again, and I see no mention of gravity plating.
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Re: The Pegasus

Post by Hywaywolf »

So basically this thing is a space going PT boat? :)
Since we progressed staright from ww11 to space I find it hard to believe that the US Space Service and then the Space Force would not have armed their ships with point defense weapons. Either a gatling gun type design of an energy pulse weapon to repel boarders and/or threaten another ship with something other than certain death.
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Re: The Pegasus

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Hywaywolf wrote:Ok, I read it again, and I see no mention of gravity plating.
Oops. Put it in, then edited it out. Sorry. :(
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Re: The Pegasus

Post by Solomoriah »

Hywaywolf wrote:So basically this thing is a space going PT boat? :)
Yeah, kind of.
Hywaywolf wrote:Since we progressed staright from ww11 to space I find it hard to believe that the US Space Service and then the Space Force would not have armed their ships with point defense weapons. Either a gatling gun type design of an energy pulse weapon to repel boarders and/or threaten another ship with something other than certain death.
The Space Force is well aware of the concept of point defense weapons... but they don't know how to build them. Partly this is because the Vulcan energy weapon technology isn't fully understood yet; partly it has to do with targeting. Weapons moving at the speed of a plasma rocket are hard to intercept without the sort of technological aids that are not yet available.

It's just been six years since the Icarus incident, and mankind has only been in space for about fifteen years total. Mankind was handed the stars, before we were ready.

You did know that you signed on to a suicide mission, right?
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Re: The Pegasus

Post by Blazeguard »

Suicide mission?!?!...WAIT?!?...What!?!? That's not what the brochure said? :shock: :P
The problem with doing something really stupid to impress people is that they may just be impressed by how stupid you really are.
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Re: The Pegasus

Post by Solomoriah »

Takeoff and Landing

Nova-class ships like Pegasus can take off from a runway like an airplane, and generally this is the recommended method, as it's the easiest. Landing on a runway is equally simple.

Where a runway is not available, Pegasus can land in a fashion similar to a bird; it fires retro-rockets to slow down, at the same time lifting the nose by means of the powerful lateral ventral forward (LVF) maneuvering thrusters. Those particular thrusters are more powerful than the other maneuvering thrusters for precisely this purpose. At the same time, the pilot depresses the main engine nozzle to its lowest angle, providing lift at the rear, and (if all goes well) the ship settles onto its aft landing gear first, cuts the main engine and lowers the nose gently to the ground.

Of course, the problem with this maneuver is that the pilot cannot see the landing area through any of the ports as he performs it. Nova-class ships are therefore equipped with downward-facing video cameras relayed by closed circuit to the bridge. However, landing using a CRT instead of direct observation is still somewhat challenging.

Taking off in the same fashion is much easier, fortunately, and in fact is the preferred method in low-gravity, low-atmosphere places such as Earth's Moon.
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Re: The Pegasus

Post by Solomoriah »

The "multiscope" is a conventional optical telescope with spectroscope, film camera (for stills) and video camera (for remote viewing, i.e. on the Bridge). The multiscope is built to work in space, and has it's own little airlock in the ceiling of the equipment bay so you can pull it in to change the film etc.

Besides the multiscope and the advanced radio rig, the equipment bay carries four reusable "Bluebird" probe rockets. A Bluebird probe can be remotely piloted and normally carries a scientific payload. There are several types:

The Atmosphere payload collects an atmospheric sample; the Bluebird is launched on a trajectory that carries it into and back out of a planet's atmosphere, and on its return the air sample can be analyzed using a compact but entirely standard chemical laboratory stored in the equipment bay. The payload is reusable, but a lengthy cleaning process is needed before putting one back into service. Pegasus carries two of these.

The Telemetry payload contains a radio receiver and transmitter; the latter is limited to pings timed exactly every 3 seconds and to relaying received signals. The ping timing allows very accurate relative velocity calculations in open space, and can be used to detect powerful gravity wells due to time dilation. Pegasus carries two of these.

The Video payload contains a video camera with audio capabilities. Pegasus has a commercial-grade videotape system, absolutely state of the art for 1969, and can record video from one of these payloads. Pegasus carries two of these also.

There could be other payloads; I simply haven't thought of them. The equipment bay has plenty of drawers and cabinets in which such things might be stashed.
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