#modular space station

[no7er]

Modular Station, Digital artwork, 2025

[lonestarflight]

Space Station Concepts: Space Operations Center

"The SOC is a self-contained orbital facility built up of several Shuttle-launched modules. With resupply, on-orbit refurbish- ment and orbit maintenance, it is capable of continuous operation for an indefinite period. In the nominal operational mode, the SOC is manned continuously, but unmanned operation is possible.

The present mission management and control process is characterized by a people-intensive ground monitoring and control operation involving large supporting ground information and control facilities and a highly- integrated ground-flight crew operation. In order to reduce dependence on Earth monitoring and control, the SOC would have to provide for increased systems monitoring; fault isolation and failure analysis, and the ability to store and call up extensive sets of data to support the onboard control of the vehicle; and the onboard capability for daily mission and other activity planning."

"Like most other space station studies from the mid/late 1970s its primary mission was the assembly and servicing of large spacecraft in Earth orbit -- not science. NASA/JSC signed a contract with Boeing in 1980 to further develop the design. Like most NASA space station plans, SOC would be assembled in orbit from modules launched on the Space Shuttle. The crew's tour of duty would have been 90 days. NASA originally estimated the total cost to be $2.7 billion, but the estimated cost had increased to $4.7 billion by 1981. SOC would have been operational by 1990.

NASA's Johnson Spaceflight Center extended the Boeing contract in February 1982 to study a cheaper, modular, evolutionary approach to assembling the Space Operations Center. An initial power module would consist of solar arrays and radiators. The next launches would have delivered a space tug 'garage', two pressurized crew modules and a logistics module. The completed Space Operations Center also would have contained a satellite servicing and assembly facility and several laboratory modules. Even with this revised approach, however, the cost of the SOC program had grown to $9 billion. Another problem was Space Operations Center's primary mission: spacecraft assembly and servicing. The likely users (commercial satellite operators and telecommunications companies) were not really interested in the kind of large geostationary space platforms proposed by NASA. By 1983, the only enthusiastic users for NASA's space station plans were scientists working in the fields of microgravity research and life sciences. Their needs would dictate future space station design although NASA's 1984 station plans did incorporate a SOC-type spacecraft servicing facility as well."

Article by Marcus Lindroos, from astronautix.com: link

NASA ID: link, S79-10137

Boeing photo no. R-1859, link, link

[prokopetz]

The most consistent piece of playtest feedback I've been getting on Space Gerbils is that the Action Phase sucks, on two counts:

Blowing your roll in the Action Phase can retroactively make the Operations Phase minigame feel pointless, and there isn't really any provision for addressing runs of bad luck; some playtest groups routinely managed to whiff a 15/16 chance of success three or four cycles in a row, which makes the whole engagement grind to a halt, and there isn't an obvious way to mitigate that when an entire round of prep work boils down to a single roll of the dice.

The first point feeds into the second: the Operations Phase has its positional minigame, and the Fallout Phase has those lovely lookup tables, but then Action Phase hanging out between them is kind of nothing, mechanically speaking. Many players have reported that it feels like the Action Phase ought to have a minigame as well, and that it's incongruous for the portion of the phase cycle where stuff actually happens to be the least mechanically engaging.

There've also been reports, where drafts 0.1 and 0.2 would often become unplayable due to the play grid filling up with broken stations, drafts 0.3 and 0.4 have swung too far in the opposite direction and made complications too easy to mitigate. It's unclear whether this is due to the Action Phase's mechanics not throwing complications frequently enough, or due to the Fallout Phase not assessing those complications harshly enough; probably it's a mix of both.

Fortunately, the game's modular nature means that it's actually fairly trivial to rip out the current Action Phase procedures and replace them with something else; very little of the rest of the system would have to change. The trick is figuring out what that should look like.

The most obvious routes involve introducing individual actions in the Action Phase, but that's exactly what we don't want; mechanically, because we just made each gerbil perform a tactical action in the Operations Phase, and doing it twice in a row would double the handling time of an already ponderous system; and thematically, because acting "as" the gerbils' singular assumed persona after doing all that setup as individuals is kind of the whole point!

In balance, this is a good problem to have, because I enjoy designing stupid minigames.

As for what that hypothetical Action Phase minigame might look like, I keep coming back to the idea of taking a page from Gone to Hell and formalising the presently-optional rule that the players should take turns "being" the bounty hunter persona in each Action Phase. That would definitely help with sorting out the forthcoming rules for GMless play, since the players whose "turn" it isn't could step into the encounter management roll. However, that leaves the off-turn players twiddling their thumbs every Action Phase in GMful play, which in turns means either having two separate sets of Action Phase procedures for GMful and GMless play, or biting the bullet and making Space Gerbils exclusively GMless, neither of which terribly appeals.

This post is mostly just me thinking out loud, so I don't expect anyone to have an opinion, but as always, I'm open to suggestions!

[ostrichmonkey-games]

Ex Materia Reveal

Time to post about Ex Materia!

I've alluded to this game a few times here and there, but here's the pitch:

Play as debt-ridden Freelancers who pilot drone frames on extraction missions on a strange space structure.

Playbooks are semi-modular, split across your single Freelancer, and as many different frames as you can afford. Mix-and-match!

Frames are called Archons, and are going to be sci-fi funky. As a fun little preview, each Archon has what's called a Hebdomad Core, which is in-universe, the strange engine that powers them, and mechanically speaking, tied to "devil's bargains".

Missions are meant to be easy to set up and get running. They're going to be another experiment in procedural tools, and the goal is to have different "zones" be responsive to player actions.

Sponsors are who you owe your debt to, but can also provide powerful (but temporary!) augments and stratagems during missions. Will you deepen you debt to get some extra dice?

And those're the central ideas that I'm building with.

Now to talk at least a little bit what makes this game different from other Forged in the Dark games.

Archons don't have actions or attributes, they have modules.

Harm is no longer a set of boxes, it's split across two fallout clocks.

Specific downtime actions are unlockable and tied to specific locations on your (space station? space ship? haven't decided yet on that).

Freelancers don't have Stress, but they do have Bleed.

All in all, it's a lot of remixing different FitD mechanics to better suit the game goals and support a slightly different style of play.

So, specifics: Archons don't have actions or attributes, they have modules. Freelancers have actions in the expected FitD way, but Archons have a set of gear/abilities that function like actions. Each Archon has a limited memory, with modules (among other things) taking up space. Modules can be anything from "Cool Gun" to "Speed Boost" to "Cool Data Analyzer", and the rating you have in those modules gives you how many dice you roll. Want to solve a problem with your Cool Gun? If you have two points there, you get 2d6, so on and so forth. These modules also function as an Archons abilities, but in a more freeform way.

Harm is no longer a set of boxes, it's split across two fallout clocks. This is going to manifest as a simplified version of what I have cooking for Unnamed Furry Crime game, but the gist is, you have a Body+Mind clock, and a Social+Financial clock. Taking harm in any way (getting hit, spending money, burning bridges) ticks those clocks. When one fills, you get hit with a significant fallout that is going to take some time-investment to clear or fix. You can also increase the size of your clocks with advancements.

The idea is that, at least in the moment, the harm matters less than the accumulation of too much harm which then ends up breaking you. I'm also just kind of pleased with, in a game where characters are driven at least in part by debt, spending money counts as harm.

Downtime and Bleed are still cooking a bit, so I'll save those for later (plus more on the rest of the game as it develops).

The Big Goal for Ex Materia is to get a beta version released in the next several months, and then a final release later in the year. So keep an eye out for more info 👀

[3liza]

Fired on Mars is alright, I especially appreciate any that it's (so far) non-space opera sci fi on a major network, an extreme rarity, especially since the Expanse turned into another ghost alien fuckaround because American audiences are too stupid to deal with realistic science fiction and think "Star Wars" qualifies. but it's really struggling as an "adult animation" production. I'm not sure if this was pitched as a live action or not but it doesn't have any reason to be animated except budget. not sure what else Max network has going on these days but you can't help but see a real show with proper production sort of superimposed on top of the simplistic and frankly boring animated backdrop. that's a real shame. they tried to split the difference by styling the drawings very buttoned-down, but it has none of the design sense of even Rick and Morty and it isn't funny enough for the writing to stand on its own, so theres just not a lot to hold onto.

the serious plot that kicks in at episode 5 reminds me a hell of a lot of the recent walking simulator, The Invincible, an adaptation of Stanislav Lem's story by the same name, with a really good surface of Mars sequence and excellent soundtrack, so I hope that's the direction the show is taking now.

it makes me think about the actual logistics and expense of filming something like this with practicals and some CGI. one of the benefits of doing something like realistic space station or mars colony stories is that you can build an incredibly cramped set and film everything on it, Cube-style, because these colonies would be modular and extremely cramped, just like NASA infrastructure is now. you could really go crazy styling a very beautiful set or soundstage that was only a few connected rooms and corridors and then just recycle them intelligently. outdoor shots in the local desert, composite out any plant life, roads, or gas stations, grey out the sky. Fired on Mars has blue sky and big cumulus clouds and initially I wasnt sure if that's referencing some sort of atmospheric control by the colony or if they screwed up or if it was focus group/producer meddling, but I looked it up and the actual Martian sky is more complicated than I assumed:

Since Mars is roughly 1.5 astronomical units from the Sun, the amount of light on the surface is about half that on our planet. Under low illumination conditions, our eyes shift sensitivity towards blue because we change from using color-sensitive “cone” cells to color-blind “rod” cells. This is known as the Purkinje effect. Hence, the first astronaut to land on Mars would probably describe its sky as even bluer than one might expect.

so anyway I think the show is ok. I stopped after watching episode 5 to write this, since this episode has taken the show in a much more interesting direction than I saw in the previous four. maybe it'll pleasantly surprise me

[sprintingowl]

Last Flight Of The Pandora

Last Flight Of The Pandora is a surprising find. It's a slim black book with gorgeous art, stylish layout, and a fantastic one session campy scifi horror ttrpg.

The book is about eighty pages, but most of that is scenarios, and the game is built to be extremely modular. You can run it a dozen times without it feeling stale.

The core premise is everyone picks a species and a role aboard the ship, and then in classic Space Station 13 fashion everyone tries to do their jobs while things go wrong.

It's a bit Lower Decks and a bit Alien, with some subtle nods to other horror classics like the scuttling prop head from The Thing, and the mechanics are surprisingly robust for how lightweight the whole thing is.

Essentially, you have different dice for different stats, and a 4+ is always a success. Species / crew role can give you advantage on rolls, or modify your stats, or let you do unique actions that range from "breathe vacuum" to "make a good latte". Every game also has the same ship map, with the same spelled out areas, and there's a feeling of boardgame-like familiarity if you play or run it more than once.

What changes between outings aboard the Pandora is what's wrong with the ship. It might be a xenomorph. It might be a rogue AI. It might be an evil floating insomnia baby. The GM decides on the fly moments before the game begins.

This sort of pantsing it is very much in the spirit of the game, and Last Flight is careful to give a lot of support to encourage the GM to wing it. Each adversary comes with its own detailed chart of objectives, ways it escalates, and what it will ultimately do if it isn't stopped. Adversaries aren't declared out loud, either, so the players have to figure out which threat they're dealing with by exploring the map and encountering its manifestations.

For groups that like pulpy scifi games, I think Last Flight is a gem. It doesn't fundamentally redefine the medium, but it's satisfying and very reliable, and a great one-shot to drop into a gap between longer games. I've anything I've said here sounds good, definitely consider picking it up.

[spyglassrealms]

Earth Orbital Spaceport (EOS) was a modular space station in low Earth orbit which was built to replace the aging International Space Station as humanity's primary gateway to interplanetary space. Its operational life as the orbital base of the United Nations Aerospace Commission lasted from 2037 to 2112 CE, and over the course of those seventy-five years the station greatly helped human civilization to flourish across the wider Sol system. As of the present day the station is under conservation in a parking orbit around the Earth-Moon trailing Lagrange point. EOS shares its name with the ancient Greek goddess of the dawn, which is elegantly symbolic of its place in history: overseeing the dawn of permanent human presence in space.

[thelongestway]

Friend, you might want to start telling me about the chapter length and speed, please. Also, while I do have a plan for this, this one keeps throwing me for interesting loops, so... No idea if the next chapter won't. If it doesn't, then the plan is solid. But we'll see. Not being sure is what drafts are for, I suppose.

That said, I'm setting my bets on 8 chapters as of now. Not sure at what speed - this was the only day in the near future when I got to sit and write for most of it. But I think it's 8, anyway.

Chapter 4

The captain allocated a temporary room to this Friend while it thought over its options. Initially it was given standard crew quarters, but they were not properly feed-enabled. It requested a space with feed access to be able to pull up additional data. The ship's logistics officer added a bed to a workroom with a terminal, and then the crew left this Friend unsupervised--save, of course, for the ship.

It could feel her presence, watchful but silent. Two could play that game, starship, it thought, and opened the terminal. It needed to see what it had to work with.

The Trellian terminal had no way to connect directly with its implants, but this Friend had always been adept with machines and their logics. The architecture here was certainly different than what it was used to, but it was still far more normal than Dandelion's feed. This Friend could see her being connected into the same systems--a large, looming presence, yet nowhere near so overwhelming as when she and it were connected directly.

It supposed it could also tap Dandelion's feed and reach the Trellians' system this way, but it would take being slow and clumsy right now. As it was, Dandelion was shadowing this Friend's inputs. It had no illusions of remaining unobserved. But at least she would be out of its thoughts.

It pushed on into the system.

There was very little proper security as it expected it. Even with guest access it could see far more than it should have. Personal work stations were cut off by flimsy-looking permissions. It supposed it understood why. All of the critical systems were wired into Dandelion herself. It would not be trying for those; Dandelion would have raised the alarm faster than it could conceivably do anything.

No. It was hopelessly outmatched there.

But there was open data, and among the data were maps. And the maps told it a lot.

The ship had many blind spots. Primarily crew quarters, and most of them not at critical junctures, but there were enough that it could reach critical systems from several points, if only it had its armor back. If worst came to worst, it probably could damage the ship even without it. Not scuttle it entirely, not until it knew where its heart was, or if there were only one heart in the first place. As it was, the ship looked unpleasantly modular. But it had one guiding intelligence, and one that had been human besides.

There had to be one heart.

This Friend took its best guess as to where it was located. Three possible locations. It consigned them to organic memory, and then, in its data banks, replaced the calculations with a general familiarization with the ship. Then it continued browsing.

Ah. There was no access to navigation systems. But there were navigation logs, which one could request access to.

Time to push it, this Friend thought, and requested access.

It was granted.

This Friend read, feeling its heart skip beats.

Little wonder it did not know Trellin. By normal ship speeds it was system-years of wormhole jumps away. The opposite side of the Rim. Failed colony side, as it was colloquially known.

But Dandelion Tenacious was not only self-sufficient and equipped for years of travel, as it had seen on the maps. She was fast. Impossibly so. Trips that took other ships dozens of cycles took it a scant few.

Bile rose in this Friend's throat. If it had this speed, it could have-.

She had to have been faking these logs.

Why would she let this Friend see them otherwise. This was not something one showed to outsiders, this was not-.

It had to have answers.

The ship responded readily to the tap.

Has the Friend considered its questions?

It has. Why did you show this Friend your logs?

Because I wish to extend an invitation. Dandelion said impassively. And if the Friend were to accept it, it would find out with the very first jump we made.

An invitation.

Yes. Leave Preservation Station with us. We will get the Friend to wherever it needs to go on our way home, provided it can pilot one of our shuttles so we can stay out of contact.

This Friend stared into the ocean. Its dark waves were still; its depths impenetrable. It felt small upon these shores; a sand-castle built with an unsteady hand. But one did not become a friend without learning to stand in the way of something far greater than itself.

You are willing to go to great lengths for this Friend.

I am.

You were willing to kill for this Friend.

I am.

That is unacceptable.

It is. There. A ripple. For a Friend. Another. I am not one. Another.

You are right, Dandelion Tenacious of Trellin. You are not a Friend. Watch the interference on the waves. See where it leads. And you should stop pretending to be one.

Not ripples anymore. Waves, crashing against each other. Not touching the little sand-castle on the shore.

I am well aware that I am no Friend.

Are you? You use the right words, the words no one else should know. You tried to protect this Friend out of some sort of misguided sense of duty. You even tried to conceal the information which you had revealed in the first place. This Friend does not know who you think you are, Dandelion Tenacious of Trellin, but you style yourself a Friend. And the Public Universal Friends do not need your pity. Nor do they need your help.

The waves raged around the little sand-castle, standing bare and safe against them. And then this Friend saw it, saw where the waves intersected; knew that it had the missing point of triangulation.

It shut off the connection and the ship did not stop it. Nor did it reattempt to open the channel.

This Friend was shaking. It had what it needed. Preservation Station would take in people without a ship. They would be stranded, yes, but not dead. And the Friends' secret would be safe. One life against many. This Dandelion had made a choice. Now this Friend would make another.

It got up, unsteadily. It wished it had its armor. But this would have to do.

Its implants crackled, as if with static. Not pain; its presentiment. But the more it moved, the more the sensation developed. It tried for the door, but pain shot through its nerves.

Was it still in the feed? How? It disconnected. The pain stayed. Another connection blossomed, sharp, narrow and precise.

Wow. An angry voice drawled in its head. Some truth to the old adage about not keeping your computers in your head, isn't there? Listen closely, Friend. You can shout at Dandelion all you like. That's between you and her. But I promise you: take one step out of that room right now, and I. Will. Fucking. Ice. You.

[deepspaceboytoy]

Imperial Navy (Imperii Stella Classis)

The Imperial Navy is the most recent evolution of the Imperium’s naval forces, having transitioned from the terrestrial-bound Imperial Fleet when humanity finally slipped the bonds of Terra. Originally the Imperial Systems Patrol, the Navy would be nearly annihilated following the outbreak of the 1st Aberinian War in 2387. Going up against a civilization that had been waging war between the stars for nearly 15,000 years, the ISP was easily outclassed, and took horrendous losses during the Imperium’s early defeats.

The Navy would recover under the leadership of Pleb-Praefectus Navis Gaius Manserius and his friend, eventual Lord Admiral Alistair Saint-James. Manserius would win the first victory in Imperial Navy history over Port Avinius. Combined with Herius Victus’ devastating counterattack, he would lead the Navy to eventual victory against the Aberinians, though he would not live to see the end of the war.

Victory brought with it a massive program to redevelop the Navy into a proper fighting force. Taking lessons from the war, and observations from other naval forces around the galaxy as humanity slowly got to know the galactic community, Alistair Saint-James proposed a radical redesign of every single part of the Navy, though he retired from his post only a few weeks after peace was declared. It wouldn’t be until 2403 that Emperor Valerian convinced Saint-James to return to command and oversee the reforms, though it came at the cost of their personal relationship.

The first step was to prepare the Navy for the Imperium’s expansion. Humanity had lucked out, surrounded as Terra was by highly habitable worlds perfect for colonization. Saint-James knew the Imperium as it was would soon be dwarfed, and so he envisioned a modular Navy, one able to respond to expansion organically.

Dividing up Imperial space into the 12 Zona Responsabilitatis, the Zones of Responsibility which would encompass every inch of Imperial space. To each zone, he assigned a Fleet, an independent body which would be given complete control of all military assets inside its Zone, including logistical and manufacturing centers. Each Fleet would be in charge of producing its own ships, training its own officers, and supporting its own operations, while carrying out the orders issued by the Senatorum Humanus and the Admiralty Board. Each Fleet would additionally be assigned a headquarters world, known as FleetCOMs, who would report to the Central Naval Commission based on the Imperium’s military hub, Ravenna. The headquarters worlds are, from 1st Fleet to 12th, Lepcis Magna, Cyprus Cygni, Tremaine (moved to Xhatri in 2680 following Tremaine’s destruction), Couermain’s Landing, Anis Abbasis, Vingimella, Vae Varitus, Magnus’ World, Arrettium, Gaulterius, Xanathos, and Terra itself.

These headquarters worlds are massive nexuses of Imperial naval might, each playing host to huge orbital drydocks and deepspace shipyards, massive gunforts and orbital bastions, and countless Imperial warships. From these worlds, the Fleets dispatch forces as necessary to patrol and maintain their Zones.

Each Fleet is commanded by two Lords Admiral, 24 of which make up the Admiralty Board, the highest station in the Imperial military. Appointment to the board requires the unanimous approval of all 23 sitting members, plus the Emperor, who retains sole civilian oversight over the Board. Each Fleet’s admirals retain overall command of their respective halves of the Fleet, along with attendant shipyards, fortifications, starstations, and planetary outposts.

Fleet organization is broken down similarly to the Imperial Legions, with large formations of set amounts of ships being broken down further as deployments require. Each Fleet numbers 480 ships of the line, with a further 2200 escort vessels, to act as screening ships for the larger capital vessels. Fleets are first broken down into Main Battlegroups, numbering 120 ships in total. These are gargantuan formations, often including the massive, awe-inspiring supercarriers and superdreadnaughts that serve as fleet flagships. Main Battlegroups are almost never deployed in their entirety, but mostly stationed over Fleet capital worlds or important shipyards. The deployment of even a single Main Battlegroup indicates an extreme reaction from the Imperial military, a reaction almost never seen outside of the outbreak of a war. Each Battlegroup is commanded by a Fleet Admiral.

From there, Fleet formations can fluctuate in size, allowing flexibility to respond to threats. The next-largest formation is the Task Force, numbering 20 ships in total. Actual ship composition may change, but these are frontline units and typically include at least one battlecruiser or heavy carrier, although some may even see the deployment of a supercarrier. Typically intended for long range missions, the Commander in charge of each Task Force is given a significant amount of leeway to accomplish their orders.

Sometimes, Fleets require rapid, heavy firepower deployed to a combat zone, which is where the Flotilla, numbering 20 ships also, comes in. Typically spearheaded by a superdreadnaught or squadron of battleships, Flotillas are specialized, heavy duty formations intended to break blockades, smash system fortifications, or overrun frontier raiders with overwhelming force. Led by a Commodore, the Flotilla is becoming increasingly scarce as the Imperium’s need for superheavy warships has lessened following the end of the Unification Wars.

Below the Task Force are the various squadrons, strike groups, and wolfpacks that make up the rest of the Navy’s structure. Typically, units of this size, around 4-10, aren’t deployed on their own, but make up groupings of ship classes inside larger formations. Destroyer wolfpacks are common, used to strip the shielding from enemy capital ships so the heavier guns of the Imperium’s line ships can finish them off. These units are invariably led by a Captain, Third Grade.

Individual ship command is given to the 480 captains that make up each Fleet’s General Officer Corps. While all ranks below Captain are earned through promotion after enlistment, captain candidates must be nominated by a superior officer. Candidates are then sent across the Imperium to the various naval academies and institutes dotting its worlds.

Imperial naval doctrine has changed much from the early days of the ISP. No pretense is made that the Navy can protect every world equally all the time, given the sheer size and scale of the empire. Instead, the Navy doesn’t even try, relying on its ability to detect and rapidly respond to hostile incursions to deploy quick reaction forces from the various Navy garrisons. In the event of full fledged invasions, Imperial strategy calls for a general retreat from the border to regroup at the nearest Fleet world, and launch counterattacks from there. This doctrine means that many an enemy has been fooled into thinking they have the Imperium on the back foot in the early days of a war, causing them to overextend, sending ships straight into the waiting maw of a fully gathered Fleet.

Additionally, the Navy maintains constant patrols into the Imperial frontier. Both humanitarian missions and displays of Imperial power, frontier patrols are expected to provide aid to the tens of thousands of human and alien colony worlds and unaligned systems that make up the frontier, and respond to rogue or hostile forces seeking to pray on vulnerable, independent worlds. Because the Imperium itself no longer sponsors colony missions, newly established worlds do not automatically gain admittance, letting these patrols act as ambassadors of goodwill, or, in the case of strategically important systems, methods of unspoken intimidation, meant to encourage applications for admittance into the Imperium.

Since the end of the 1st Aberinian War, the Imperium has worked hard to develop the Navy, making use of technology reverse engineered from the two remaining alien Harbinger vessels to leapfrog humanity’s military capabilities. This significant investment has paid off massively, and the Navy has never lost a war. Though involved in many conflicts, and becoming victim to several defeating tactical defeats, the Navy has never actually lost a military conflict, with several of its formations, especially the 3rd Fleet, becoming famous even outside of Imperial space for their sheer stubbornness and lethality. Other notable Fleets include the 12th, on permanent loan to the Union of Interstellar States’ peacekeeping forces, the 7th, the only Imperial Fleet to serve under a non-Imperial officer when Benden Voidmaster Fhiras Theth was given command of the Fleet during the Unification Wars, and the 1st Fleet, which has never left the Sol System, stationed on permanent guard duty over humanity’s home.

[elbiotipo]

One thing regarding videogame consoles in Campoestela is that by the time it takes place ("500 years after Gagarin") most physical videogame consoles, cartridges, disks, etc. are degraded to be unusuable except for those carefully preserved in museums and antique societies (and there must be countless online games that are just... lost). Most, or rather all games from our current console era(s) are preserved in emulation. Another thing that is always a theme in Campoestela, however, is cultural and species diversity, it's a setting with hundreds (thousands?) of different sentient species and each with their own countless languages and cultures. Things like that are common in Campoestela, most common use things like clothes, electronics, utensils, tools, have to be made with many species in mind and are often tailored, like going to a spacesuit tailor, an electronicman, etc

While this removes the idea of my characters rummaging through street markets in search of ancient videogames, it does open some interesting possibilites. So instead of mass-produced standarized consoles, videogaming in Campoestela resembles building a PC, except even more artisanal because you have to factor anatomical differences... someone like Ragua could work with a human controller "fine", but come on, you do like REAL gamers do and go to your local electronics shop in the big space station and ask them to build a controller and console for you. This has bearing in the plot because Ragua was a cringefail gamergirl in her ancient precursor civilization, and besides being thrown into an unknown time away from everything and everyone she ever knew, she's also concerned all her favorite fandoms and videogames are now only known to archeologists, if that. So she is trying to learn what kind of 'future' videogames are there (the graphics suck so much).

In the separate Biopunk Future setting (2143, more 'realistic' even with the talking dolphins), consoles are still produced, even if Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are long gone by successive global economic crises. In this setting, WW3 and the Ecocide managed to devastate global industries and telecommunication, lots of things preserved in the internet were lost and people are acutely aware of it, making physical media more important than ever. Melanie (the communist catgirl) was raised by her grandparents in one of the shops that dedicates precisely to recovering and emulating old media, with an especial focus on nerd and otaku culture. And that's one of the reasons why she's Like That. Overall, electronics have also taken in a more modular and conservative bent (almost back to brick phones), since the era of global commerce is reaching its twilight and society prefers things that are cheap and last long instead of flashy. Retro videogames are very much in, and since many characters have entered public domain and people are nostalgic for an era where things were simpler and half of the biosphere didn't die, there is a retro wave in the past decades. There was an era around the mid 21th century were lots of people were hooked to VR and AI characters and it was considered a global health crisis, but that was stupid and we don't talk about it.

[farsight-the-char]

What ships and stations look like in my SiFi Setting.

Cosmic Federation: Federation space-faring technology is often based around manufacturing base sections of facilities first, and assembling them around the engine, attaching them like lego. This leads to a very blocky look to some ships, but easy modularity and cross-compatibility. Newer stations, especially planet-bound ones, have a very Brutalist look, though as things develop more some more variety is added. Humanity brings their culture with them for the interiors. 

..

The Commonwealth: Civilian ships have a very “nautical” feel to them, often looking like historical sailboats, a deliberate practice to maintain the Nyat connection to their history. The warships are sleek and maneuverable, even the larger ones. Stations for the Commonwealth are full of nature and art. Given the loss of the Nyat homeworld because of the civil war, the determination to maintain their culture in space makes sense. 

The member cultures of the Commonwealth, such as the Rex’can and Man’tai, take notes from the Commonwealth but have their own spins on things.

Rex’can do not make distinction between warship and civilian vessel for their own fleets, thus every ship made has combat potential (even if it lacks visible armament).

The Man’tai design their ships after the animals of their homeworld, predatory lizard-beasts for the warships particularly. 

..

The Sanctuary Republics: FLYING FUCKING CASTLES! The ability to create is the gift of the divine in the Fal’kor society, thus Republic ships are masterworks of art and science. Civilian ships have grand artworks painted on the hulls, their stations adorned in many murals, awe inspiring displays of faith, history, and industry.

Their warships bring a greater “Cathedral” look, though the number of warships the Republic has in its possession is limited, because they get very resource intensive quickly. 

..

The Grand Unity: Because of the diverse number of species the Unity, their ships often resemble trains, different cars accommodating the needs of individual species with several “cars” serving as places of meeting between cultures. Stations emulate this idea, several sections divided up but built around a central facility. 

The warships maintain the “train” idea, and a fleet of the Unity’s ships is often compared to a dance of dragons in how they maneuver around each other

[open-hangar]

Space Defense Lanzer Ep. 6

LUNARIAN MECHANICAL RECORDS

Μακάριοι οι Παρατηρητές

Prototype Lanzer Type-Artemis

Size: 18m, 51 tons

Power Output: ~800 MW/minute onboard, [REDACTED]

Pilots: 1 active pilot

Weaponry and abilities: Space flight, limited atmospheric flight, modular weaponry and armor. Limited onboard weaponry.

Etc.: Despite appearances, this is NOT to be confused with the MP Synth-OSi-equipped Lanzers, which share lineage with the Artemis. Changes to this Lanzer by anyone other than Lt. j.g. Truth MUST be approved before implementation.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Elysian Truth stood at attention before their mother, as all Lunarian soldiers are trained to do. This is a monumental occasion, as few receive a personal briefing from any one member of the council like this. Elysian felt honored, and was dressed in their finest black flight suit, white cloak, and rebreather mask. They stand at full attention, waiting for an “at ease” that never comes.

Councilwoman Resplendent Truth snaps her fingers, and the room grows dark as a map of what was once known as the continent of Africa extends across the wall behind her. It zooms into the southern half, and then it goes further until it’s just the southernmost peninsula. A striped zone surrounds Kwazulu LBZ to represent Siyanqoba’s anti-air coverage, along with a small flag on its very outer edge.

“Our long campaign pushing the Earthling savages back to their wasteland has proven effective. Our battleships stationed above the LBZ’s ensure that nothing leaves the atmosphere, but our spy scopes believe that they might have figured out how to make their own Lanzers, instead of just digging them up out of the ground.”

Even if Elysian’s face were visible, it would be difficult to gauge his reaction to this. It’s difficult to imagine the Earthlings with anything approaching real technology, but the idea of some of them putting up a decent fight was a little exciting.

“You’re going on a special assignment,” Councilwoman Truth explained. “We believe that they’re planning on testing whatever they’re making outside of their protected area as bait. You and the Type-Artemis are going in alone and taking that bait.”

Elysian’s hand shot up to their chest in salute. “I will track this machine down and annihilate it.”

But their mother wasn’t fast enough to interrupt them. “Unlikely. The Type-Artemis is good, real good, but the smart move from the savages’ point of view is to send a small army along with… whatever they have to extend their anti-air coverage. That’s why once you confirm this thing’s existence, you’ll tag the entire area for orbital bombardment and get out. The Artemis is too valuable to let you destroy it.”

Their mother’s lack of respect for their piloting ability is what really hurts Elysian. With Luna’s help, the lieutenant has racked up a higher kill count than any other Lunarian over the course of the campaign… The councilwoman picked up on this slight hesitation.

“I will stand no showboating or hotdogging. The Synth-OSi AI is without a doubt our most valuable battlefield asset. If anything, ANYTHING, happens to it…”

She marches directly towards her child, and rips Elysian’s rebreather off of their face as a violet haze bellows out of it, and holds it above her head. “We both know the consequences.”

The lieutenant does their best to remain stoic, but the symptoms start kicking in in the predictable manner. First, it becomes harder to breathe. Shallow at first, but slowly growing into something like an asthma attack. Then, their vision starts to blur. Colors start to disappear, and everything becomes blurry and wobbling. And lastly, his muscles start to go. Elysian fights it for as long as possible before their knees start to buckle, and their beet-red face bursts out in shallow wheezing. Resplendent returns the mask to its normal resting spot.

“Dismissed.”

—

“Trajectory proceeding as calculated. Opening heat vents. Heat shield not necessary. Entering lower atmosphere in 5 minutes, approaching landing site in 20. Any further requests, Lt. Truth?”

Luna’s voice wasn’t comforting to most, but to Elysian, it was the sound of their oldest friend. “Nope, proceed as planned. Bring up the most up-to-date aerial map of the landing site, I want to see if our new friend is waiting for us.”

A map flickers open on one edge of the panoramic hud surrounding the pilot’s seat, and Lt. Truth flicks one of their fingers to drag it closer to the front.. It shows a grassland sparsely populated by trees, and is updated once every couple of seconds or so. Sure enough, there’s exactly 1 mechanical object resembling a Lanzer patrolling between two random trees.

“How far in can you zoom?”

The map expands to fill the entire hud, and then focuses in on the object, but it’s mostly just a blurry mess of pixels.

“Would you like me to digitally enhance it, Lt.?”

Elysian shakes their head, knowing that it would be pointless. “Don’t bother, your guess would be as good as mine.” They instead lean their head in and squint, comparing it to their mental database of pre-disaster Lanzer models. “It looks like it’s just a Ground Lanzer… Mark II? But it’s carrying something on its back.”

“Remember what the Councilwoman said, Lieutenant,” Luna proclaimed out of nowhere, almost instinctively reading Elysian’s intentions. They wave the invisible presence away.

“Yes, yes, I know.”

—

The retro-boosters in Type-Artemis’ legs ease its descent into the savanna with no problems, and the hud blinks a red triangle in the distance where the orbiting ships’ cameras spotted the target. Sure enough, it was a Ground Mark II with some sort of large backpack. The lieutenant sizes it up from a distance when a lunarian voice comes over comms. “Lt. Truth, this is the LMS Perseverantiae reporting that we’re ready for bombardment. Just fire the tracker at the location from the catapult equipped on the Type-Artemis from a safe location once you’ve determined the target and we’ll do this rest. Orbital ship out.”

A display on the hud listed all of the Type-Artemis’ weapons in a handy list. Beam rifle, beam sword, tracker catapult. The rifle and the sword were attached to the Lanzer’s power systems and were basically infinite if both reactors were activated (Elysian’s skin itched at the thought). The catapult had a big 1 next to it. After a second’s deliberation, the lieutenant switched over to the rifle, and the Type-Artemis automatically drew it and aimed it forward. It’s just one Ground Lanzer, Elysian thought to themself. Luna didn’t say anything as they marched into range, took aim, and fired.

Luna's aim assist sent the shot directly to where the enemy Lanzer was going to be based on its current trajectory, but it almost knew where that shot was going and zipped laterally, offering Elysian a better view of what was on its back. It was the shape of a turtle shell, covered in plated metal and glass. Is that a second cockpit? No… what good would that do? They didn’t have time to dwell on it before Ground Lanzer determined the Type-Artemis’ position and open fired with its machine gun and forced the lunarian to respond in kind.

The two danced in a violent ballet for several minutes, trading shots and dodging them in kind, all the while the two machines grew closer and closer until they were practically in range to touch. “Lieutenant, we are currently too close to the target. Retreat and fire the beacon.” Elysian didn’t have to voice their disagreement, they were already too focused, too excited, and having too much fun. “Fire the second reactor, Luna.” “That is not a wise course of action, Lieutenant. We are currently acting outside mission parameters.”

Elysian frowned. Luckily, they knew exactly what to do to get the machine’s AI to do what they wanted. He triggered the emergency unequip functions on the rifle and the catapule, which both launched well clear of the battlefield as the Type-Artemis automatically drew its melee weapon. Elysian could have sworn that they heard Luna groan as this happened. “Emergency situation detected. Activating second reactor.”

Magnets in Elysian’s flight suit yank them back into the cockpit’s seat, forcing them to sit at a reclining angle as a 6-pack configuration of large needles press themselves into Elysian’s back around their spine. It used to hurt, but now it feels exhilarating, like the fight was just now getting good. Violet crystals slowly creep in the edges of the pilot’s vision, and with a raspy yell, Elysian fires off a message across all open channels: “Let’s dance!”

Firing the second reactor in the Type-Artemis always had the same effects: Faster boosts, longer range beam sword, more powerful weapon blasts. But the most fun part was always Elysian’s radically improved reaction speeds. Everything moved in slow motion. Every other pilot was just a child in playground equipment. And this one was no different, as it seemed to just stand still and did its best to block and parry elongated sword attack with its pitiful axe.

But then it does something that the lunarian didn’t expect. With an almost pre-programmed motion, the Ground Lanzer grabs the Type-Artemis’ free arm after a wild sword swing, and brings it close into a tight hug. They were too close for the lunarian Lanzer to swing its powered up sword, and the machine’s faces grew close enough to kiss. “Wh… Get off! Savage scum!” Elysian charged up the boosters for a violent getaway, but it was too late.

The earthling machine’s turtle shell blasted off of its back, and swung up and around in a controlled rocket burst aided by a thick cable attacking it to the Ground Lanzer. It was already staring directly into the Type-Artemis’ back as a thick tentacle with its own beam sword ejected out of a metal panel and directly through the lunarian mecha’s head, killing all outside cameras feeding into the cockpit. “Disaster situation detected. Imminent mission failure, violent chargon leakage, emergenc-”

The entire cockpit fills with a thick grey fluid, the sound of igniting fuel, and then darkness.

Art by https://x.com/REEvolt119956

[m3mjewelgurgaonproperty]

Top 10 Amenities of M3M Jewel commercial investment in Gurgaon: Reimagining Workspaces

Gurgaon’s commercial real estate landscape is evolving rapidly, and M3M Jewel Commercial Property in Sector 25 stands at the forefront of this transformation. Strategically located on MG Road, this project redefines modern workspaces with world-class amenities tailored for businesses, investors, and retail ventures. Whether you’re eyeing M3M Jewel retail spaces or exploring M3M Jewel commercial investment in Gurgaon, here’s a deep dive into the top 10 amenities that make this property a game-changer.

1. Intelligent Office Spaces for New Businesses

M3M Jewel office spaces are created to facilitate technology-enabled business. With super-fast fiber-optic internet, climate control through intelligent automation, and IoT-based security systems, businesses can run smoothly. Not only do these buildings increase productivity but also generate high M3M Jewel lease rental yields by housing premium business tenants.

2. Premium Location on MG Road: Connectivity Redefined

Situated on M3M Jewel Sector 25 MG Road, M3M Jewel is endowed with unparalleled connectivity to the business centers of Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport, and NH-48. Being close to metro stations and corporate parks like Cyber City keeps your business at the forefront of accessibility—a factor pushing the price of M3M Jewel higher.

3. Sustainable Design with LEED Certification

Sustainability is the essence of M3M Jewel commercial building Gurgaon. Property is also planned with energy-efficient lighting, rainwater harvesting, and waste management system. Environment-friendly investors like the way green certifications increase long-term M3M Jewel commercial property rate per sq. ft. and lower operating expenses.

4. 24/7 Security and High-Capacity Parking

Goodbye parking nightmares! The M3M Jewel Gurgaon complex boasts 500+ multi-level parking facilities, protected by day-night CCTV surveillance and biometric access. Such facilities are of utmost importance to business houses with a safety-first approach—a USP for M3M Jewel investment advisory experts.

5. Dynamic Retail Zones for Diverse Ventures

From flagship stores to boutique showrooms, M3M Jewel retail units are available for businesses of all sizes. The modular setup is flexible and thus suits the needs of startups as well as brand names. Affordable in Sector 25, M3M Jewel retail price gives entrepreneurs an advantageous edge in the flourishing retail business of Gurgaon.

6. World-Class Conference and Training Facilities

Guests hosting. The complex has world-class conference rooms, auditoriums, and training facilities equipped with the best AV equipment. These areas add tremendous value to businesses that require growth, directly influencing M3M Jewel rental income and tenant retention rates.

7. Wellness Zones: Where Health Meets Productivity

Staff happiness leads to better performance. M3M Jewel office space incorporates wellness centers, jogging tracks, and yoga decks. These elements bring the property to the fore as a well-being workplace—a factor investors underscore in M3M Jewel investment Gurgaon talk.

8. Special Food Courts and Cafes

Starving to succeed? The in-building food courts and cafes offer a variety of cuisines, keeping the clients and employees energized. This building draws companies, thus making the M3M Jewel commercial investment in Gurgaon building even more appealing in Gurgaon's business competitive market.

9. Scalable Power Backup and Maintenance Services

Power outages will not be an issue here. The building is 100% power backed up and has dedicated maintenance staff. For investors looking for M3M Jewel price per sq ft comparison, this reliability means lower tenant turnover and stable cash flow.

10. Investment Consultation and Customized Plans

Lost between lease and buy? M3M Jewel's investment advisory solutions provide customized options if you're looking for retail shops or office spaces. From M3M Jewel price charts to rent predictions, they help you achieve highest ROI on Gurgaon's most profitable business hub.

Why Invest in M3M Jewel commercial investment in Gurgaon Property in 2025?

Rental Yields: Gurgaon commercial rentals have increased 12% YoY, and M3M Jewel Sector 25 will outperform the market.

Price Appreciation: With infrastructure development all around us, i.e., Dwarka Expressway, M3M Jewel commercial property price per sq. ft. will appreciate 15–18% by 2025.

Retail Boom: Retail business in Sector 25 is booming, and M3M Jewel retail spaces are occupied by F&B, fashion, and tech brands.

Last Words: Lock Your Place in Gurgaon's Business Crown Jewel

M3M Jewel commercial investment in Gurgaon Property is not only an office, but a holding strategy. From the best address on MG Road to world-class amenities, every detail is designed to deliver unparalleled returns. Whether comparing M3M Jewel retail price with competition or comparing M3M Jewel rental yields with competition, this project is the best example of commercial investment in Gurgaon.

Ready to Invest? Get in touch with our M3M Jewel investment advisory team today to discover prices, floor plans, and special offers!

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Development, Phase B: North American Rockwell and General Dynamics B9U/NAR-161-B

North American and General Dynamics B9U / NAR-161-B proposed their final Phase B shuttle proposal on June 25, 1971.

"The fully reusable 'B9U / NAR-161-B' configuration would now weigh 2,290t at liftoff vs. the Phase-A limit of 1,587t and the total estimated cost of the development project had doubled, to almost $10 billion. The thrust of the space shuttle main engines had to be increased from 1,850KN to 2,450KN. Part of the problem was the shuttle now would have to be a much more versatile and capable vehicle than originally anticipated, since the space station and the manned lunar/planetary program evaporated in 1970. Critics in Congress contended that it was 'a project searching for a mission.' As a result, the new space transportation system was instead increasingly being promoted as a low-cost 'space truck' for unmanned NASA & USAF satellites."

"The North American Rockwell 'NAR-161-B' orbiter was designed for carrying a crew of two plus up to ten passengers in the forward crew module. Note the four deployable landing jet engines on top of the vehicle; NASA was planning to use modified F-15 or B-1B aircraft jet engines on some missions and for ferry flights from test sites or alternative landing fields. But the jets would be omitted for heavy-lift missions since the additional weight greatly reduced the shuttle's payload capability. The thermal protection system was based on silica tiles. The blended wing/body design was chosen for uniform load distribution. It would have produced a 2300-kilometer crossrange capability to satisfy USAF reentry requirements; North American also decided to replace the wingtip fins with a single vertical tail. The 2,450KN main engine thrust upgrade was motivated in part by the need to have a single engine-out abort capability. Analysis showed that the orbiter still would be able to return to the launch site after a single orbit in case one of its two main engines failed during ascent, but only if the engines were powerful enough. Unlike McDonnell-Douglas (who proposed to use RL-10s), North American favored a brand new oxygen/hydrogen 45KN-thrust orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines. Three OMS engines would have been carried for orbit insertion, orbital changes and the de-orbit burn."

"General Dynamics' final 'B9U' booster design differed considerably from the earlier straight-wing 'B8D' concept. The landing jets were moved from the nose back to the delta wing in order to reduce the launch drag & heating effects and to minimize the jet engine exhaust effects on stability, control and drag. General Dynamics felt the delta wing would provide better stability & control over the entire flight regime than the B8's straight wing. It would also create more room for the main landing gear and jet engine installation. The gross liftoff mass was 1,886.2t including a jet fuel load of 62.2t for the 850km flight back to the launch site. The high staging velocity (3300m/s) and altitude (73.8km) created some problems since the booster would have to be very large, require a relatively advanced thermal protection system and carry lots of jet fuel for the return flight. The contractors also examined downrange landing sites or in-flight propellant transfer in order to reduce the amount of booster jet fuel. NASA also seriously considered a proposal to use gaseous hydrogen rather than jet fuel since it would have saved thousands of kilograms, but decided against the idea in the end since it would have increased the technical risk."

North American Rockwell Phase-B shuttle orbiter docks with modular space station.

"Payload capability (without landing jets): 29,484kg into a 185km 28.5 deg. Orbit; 18,144kg into a 185km 90 deg. polar orbit; 11,340kg into a 500km 55 deg. orbit with landing jets installed on orbiter and 20,411kg without landing engines.

Cost per mission: $100-200/lb. [1970 rates] or $950-$1900/kg in 1999. 75 missions/year max. Space station rescue mission capability within 48 hours of emergency call.

Liftoff Thrust: 2,606,810 kgf. Total Mass: 2,188,488 kg. Core Diameter: 10.4 m. Total Length: 98.0 m.

Stage Number: 1. 1 x Shuttle R134C-1 Gross Mass: 1,886,200 kg. Empty Mass: 290,000 kg. Thrust: 29,370-32,233.575 KN. Isp: 442 sec. Burn time: 209 sec. Isp(sl): 392 sec. Diameter: 10.4 m. Span: 43.9 m. Length: 82 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 12. SSME Study

Stage Number: 2. 1 x Shuttle R134C-2 Gross Mass: 383,260 kg. Empty Mass: 121,560 kg. Thrust (vac): 5,624.8 KN. Isp: 459 sec. Burn time: 264 sec. Isp(sl): 359 sec. Diameter: 4.6 m. Span: 32.6 m. Length: 62.8 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 2. SSME Study

- information from "INTRODUCTION TO FUTURE LAUNCH VEHICLE PLANS [1963-2001]" by Marcus Lindroos: link

SDASM Archives: 08_00941, 08_00943, 08_00944

Mike Acs's Collection: link, link

Numbers Station: link, link, link, link, link

source

Boeing image: 71SV13043

[dead-generations]

wow. I am regretting my focus on rocketry and not keeping up with payloadery. because everything going with Vast is amazing! Super exciting stuff, really really smart architecture and scope and planning. focusing on getting a simple single module station in orbit as fast and as cheaply as possible is brilliant and will put them ahead of everyone else, and they can leverage that into developing their real ambition for Haven-2.

Focusing on an externally identical modular scalable system is also so smart, as they can adjust or scale up or down (likely down) their ambitions based on market demand. and no one knows what market demand will be. the focus on minimal on orbit assembly is brilliant.

Very tight design, very realistic goals and read of the market, really intelligent design methodology, and just a brilliant idea to focus on getting something operating ASAP to learn by doing.

And they have done this all so rapidly, in next to no time. The big competitors in Skylab and Orbital Reef have had years more time, millions of NASAbux and direct oversight from NASA and Vast will have a commercial station in orbit and operational before any of them.

Definitely much more realistic and well planned than Orbital Reef - which is basically gaurenteed to both over promise and under deliver to NASA and still be too big for the market as it will exist. it's also moving faster and has a better operational timeline (planning for 3 years between Orbital Reefs launch and becoming operational is nuts. and they don't even have a crew vehicle to get to OR). I'm not sure Orbital Reef can win a contract realistically, it just costs too much and is too big and too ambitious and too slow, but Bezos is really good at winning contracts via lobbying and lawsuits

I still love skylabs 1 launch 1 station approach and I love that they're utilizing the era of big fairings we are in to maximise what you get from one launch. I can see ESA being keen on the design and if it is easy to manufacture they could provide bespoke stations just for ESA, JAXA or USSF. Haven-1 or 2 could also do this for cheaper but less space, which might suite JAXA and USSF quite well.