Step 1: Ship Type - Determine the type of ship (atmosphere-capable vs. space-only; purpose).

N. B.: Streamlining is necessary only for ships that will enter an atmosphere. Streamlining adds to the base cost of the hull and adds mass. Email me for details.

Step 2: Hull - Determine size (in cubic yards), material(s), armour, compartmentlisation (non-compartmentalised sections of the ship may decompress if the hull is punctured), and stress rating.

Size: A lifeboat may range in size from 5-200 cubic yards; a shuttle or scout ship from 50-500 cubic yards; a freighter from 200-40,000 cubic yards; and an orbital station would be 100,000 cubic yards or more.

Material: The best available hull material masses .01 tons/cubic yard and costs $2000 US/cubic yard.

Armour: Armour reduces damage taken in combat. Unarmoured ships have a Defense Factor (DF) of 0. Any vehicle may be armoured. Armour adds mass, but not volume. Armour masses .2 tonsUS/cubic yard, and costs $1000 US/cubic yard, for a Defense Factor of 1. Armour cost and mass double for DF 2, quadruple for DF 3, and so on.

Compartmentlisation: Interior walls to compartments are pressure-tight, and there are more pressure doors on a compartmentalised ship. Standard compartment walls are DR 6, HT 20. Pressure walls and doors are DR 12, HT 40. Heavy and total compartmentalisation are available at 50% and 100% additional base hull cost and mass. Email me for details.

Stress Rating: The stress rating is the amount of weight (not mass) that a hull can bear safely. At 1G, weight and mass are equivalent. A hull that will never land can have a low stress rating. A standard hull has a stress rating (in tons) equivalent to its volume in cubic yards. Increasing (or decreasing) a stress rating is done by incrementing the cost and mass by 1% for each 2% change in stress rating. (doubling the stress ratng adds 50% cost and mass, for example.)

Step 3: Power & Engines - Determine the power plant size and output, manœuvering drive, main drive, and fuel type and capacity.

Power is measured in megawatts (MW). Power output takes into account the power that keeps the power plant itself running and under control. Redundant power systems and additional capacity are recommended.

Drives produce thrust, measured in tons. The acceleration of a ship (measured in Gs) is determined by the thrust. A 100-ton ship with a thrust of 100 tons accelerates at 1G. A 1000-ton ship with a thrust of 100 tons accelerates at .1G. Manœuvering drives are used to make small navigational corrections, for docking, and for maintaining orbit. Main drives are more powerful than manœuvering drives and propel the ship through space. Fuel type is dependent upon the type of drive, while capacity is determined by the size of the ship and the amount of storage space you are willing to commit to fuel storage.

Step 4: Quarters - Allot quarters for the crew and passengers, and life support for same (air, water, food, waste disposal).

Space and mass must be allotted to each person aboard the ship. For short flights, only seating space is required. Longer flights require living accommodations. Crew requirements vary greatly, but the following positions must be filled (positions may be filled by more than one person):

Command: one person, plus one per five additional non-command crew. Officers whosupervise engineers are usually engineers themselves, and an officer may double as a pilot or gunner.

Pilot: At least one, preferably three plus a navigational specialist (who may double as a backup pilot in an emergency).

Medical Personnel: At least one full-time medical specialist (flight surgeon) for up to 20 people, with one additional medic or assistant for each additional 50 people.

Engineers: One full-time enigneer for every 60 tons or fraction thereof of the total mass of the drives and power plant. On small ships, engineers may also be responsible for life support.

Life Support Technician: One full-time LST for ships carrying more than 20 people, plus one additional LST for each additional full 100 people.

Service Personnel: Includes cooks, yeoman, and support positions. One full-time service person for ships carrying more than 20 people, with an additional person for every additional 50 people on board.

General Maintenance Technician: One GMT trained for Extra-Vehicular Excursions (EVE) if there are more than 10 people aboard, plus one for every 50 people OR 1,000 tons of ship, whichever is more.

Concierge Service: Only required on passenger vessels. One full-time person for each 50 cargo or steerage class passengers, 20 second-class, 10 first-class passengers, or 2 luxury passengers.

Gunners: One per weapon system. Weapons may not be operated unless there is a gunner manning the station.

Additional Crew: this may include redundant personnel for any position, various technical specialists (communication, sensory equipment, calculating equipment), scientists, cargo specialists, various assistants, &c.

N.B.: Calculating equipment can mitigate the amount of work required. The better the calculating equipment, the more work it can do.

Email me for details about costs and mass for short and long duration flights. Remember to allot a certain amount of weight/mass per person for equipment.

Life Support: This is available as limited (for shuttles, lifeboats, etc.) and comprehensive. Email me for details.

Step 5: Armament - Determine what sort(s) of armanent, if any, are integral to the ship, and note locations of same.

Armaments have cost, mass, and volume, as any other ship component. They have a Firepower (FP) rating, and draw power from the ship in order to function. All weapons are turreted, and up to four may be linked into a single system controlled by a single gunner.

Step 6: Sensory and Calculating Equipment - Enumerate all calculating and sensory gear, an instrumentation. See "The Amazing Mr. Edison" entry in the Lunar Ellipse Blog for details about available equipment.

Step 7: Airlocks, &c. - Determine number, location, and size of air-locks, cargo bays, docking areas, and auxiliary vessels (scouts, shuttles, lifeboats). Air-locks may be used in the interior of the ship as well as in exterior exits. Air-locks are available in Large, Standard, and Single sizes. Email me for air-lock costs, volumes, capacity, and mass.

Step 8: Calculations - Calculate the mass, volume, and power usage of each component, and tot it up.

Step 9: Acceleration - Using the mass calculation from Step 8, determine the ship's rate of acceleration/deceleration.

Personal Kit: Contains basic toiletries, personal items, eating utensils, and the sorts of things one generally finds in pockets, reticules, or back-packs. US$25, 1/2 lb.

Utility Belt or Vest: Has several pockets, hooks, loops, and holsters of varying sizes and shapes for tools, equipment, weapons, ammunition, money, and valuables. US$25, 1/2 lb.

Chronometer: Pocket timepiece, requires winding. Can only be set to 24-hours time. US$500, 1/4 lb.

Towel: 2' by 4'; terrycloth or similar. US$10, 1 lb. Don't forget it.