![]() It can however tap into the same H 2 storage tanks used by the engines when needed. Unlike the engine core, the fusion plant which provides power for the DropShip is a closed system, reprocessing its own by-products and requiring little additional fuel. Military DropShips will also have a series of high-speed pumps which can supply a constant stream of fuel for the engine, allowing for rapid changes in thrust. The one found on all DropShips is a heat-expansion system where the H 2 is fed into a heated chamber here the high temperature causes it to expand, with the resulting pressure forcing it into the engine core. The plasma exhaust is created as a by-product of nuclear fusion and requires a constant supply of fuel in the form of liquid H 2, which is carried aboard in large storage tanks and fed to the drive by one of two systems. The most advanced also have numerous plasma exhaust nozzles dotting their hulls to control steering, but such devices are fragile and expensive, leaving many DropShips equipped with hardier but less efficient chemical rockets to fulfill this role. All DropShips have a main exhaust nozzle to propel the ship forward at a steady acceleration. The fusion engine works by expelling plasma through shielded exhaust nozzles to create thrust. ![]() While DropShips come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the heart of every DropShip is its engineering section, which is comprised of two systems: a power plant and anĮngine. By the 31st century, there were over 250 DropShip designs on record, though only approximately 100 were still in service, with twenty of those constituting the majority of DropShips in existence. Instead of being carried within the hull of a JumpShip, these vessels were now attached on the outside and would "drop" away once it had arrived. It was not until the 25th century when "DropShip" became the official designation for a type of ship more sophisticated than the earlier shuttles. ![]() The term "DropShip" was first used in the 22nd century to describe the cargo-carrying shuttles then in use to ferry cargo and passengers between the JumpShips of that era. the huge Combat JumpShips that outclass DropShips by an order of magnitude (typically massing several hundred thousands or even millions of tons). are never applied to them these are exclusively used for true WarShips, i.e. Accordingly, a wide and diverse variety of DropShip types exist.Įven though many DropShips serve as military spaceships, naval terms such as "Corvette", "Destroyer", "Cruiser" etc. While transport is their primary role, some have been built for special purposes and act as tugs, rescue ships, fighter carriers or even designated combat DropShips. It is the DropShips (and occasionally their smaller cousins, the Small Craft) that move cargo and passengers between planetary surfaces, orbits, space stations and jump points. For FTL interstellar movement, they dock with JumpShips by means of a Docking collar.ĭropShips are the workhorse of interplanetary space travel. They essentially conduct all other aspects of space travel, including transit between planets and Jump Points and planetary landings. The Operations Manual includes essays on the designs of DropShips and JumpShips, descriptions of the general components of each type of vessel, and extensive game rules covering all aspects of their operation and maintenance.In the BattleTech universe a DropShip is defined as a type of spaceship massing between 200 and 100,000 tons that is itself incapable of faster-than-light (FTL) travel. Also included is a short history of humanity in space, from the construction of Crippen Station, through the work of Kearny and Fuchida and mankind's exodus from Terra, to the modern Succession War era. Each entry includes an illustration of the ship as well as detailed descriptions and statistics. ComStar Intelligence SummaryĬomStar Intelligence Summary FB-60 discusses the five major types of JumpShips and 20 major types of DropShips as well as examples of small craft and even space stations. Bound into this single volume are ComStar Intelligence Summary FB-60 and excerpts from the standard DropShips and JumpShips Operations Manual. Here is the definitive work describing mankind's method of transportation between the stars.
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