Copyright © 1997 by Greg Hunter. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer
OK, here a freighter design I did recently after being inspired by things
on the 2300 AD list. I know, freighters are dull compared to military vessels,
but we need commercial ships, too... Anyway, I call my design the
Nostromo, err, I mean, the Atlas ( grin). I made it a Canadian ship
in a fit of national chauvinism. Comments appreciated, and I hope
you aren't too bored by it!
Canada's small fleet of aging Hudson-class cargo carriers and York-class colonization vessels ( operated by Canadian Interstellar Transport, a Crown corporation), was straining under the increased usage demands place on it. In 2299, Parliament authorized CIT to tender a contract for the design and construction of a new freighter to augment its fleet.
The Atlas-class freighters were designed by the UBC Engineering/ Campbell MacLeod & Associates consortium and were built in the New Lunenburg orbital drydock facility. The design is notable mostly for its sheer size. The drive technology is old, bordering on obsolete. The 50 MW fission reactor is massive for a non-military ship. The reasoning behind such a power plant was to avoid refueling downtime along the many stops to the frontier. Unfortunately, it also necessitates a very large engineering crew to operate safely. Like its predecessor the Hudson-class, the Atlas has a metallic hull and limited sensor apparatus. The passive array is cross-linked to the navigation work station during normal operations. If necessary, an off-duty crewman will operate the passive array from its primary work station.
To meet Parliament's requirements, accommodation for 30 passengers was included in the design. The accommodations are adequate, but no spin habitats were installed, making the long journey uncomfortable for those not accustomed to zero-G life. Passage to Doris on Atlas-class vessels is subsidized by the government, however. Additionally, provision was made for conversion of the hold of the ship into zero-G accommodations with relative ease, should future colonization efforts require it. One life support and work areas for the stewards have been included, the ship can accommodate 213 additional passengers and 24 more stewards.
The ship's hold is cavernous, with just over 18200 cubic metres of space for cargo. All bulkheads are made of metal, so that the cargo handlers can use magnetic boots to facilitate walking and the use of exoskeletons. Several such devices are standard equipment for the ship.
There are currently two ships in the class, the Atlas and the Hercules. A third, the Samson, is currently under construction in Earth orbit. Trilon Industries has expressed interest in purchasing a license to build the design for use hauling ore from Xi Ursae Majoris.
Streamlining: None
Sensors: Nav radar, passive array
Performance Characteristics
Warp Efficiency: 3.04 ( 1.36 loaded), Power Plant: 50
MW Fission Reactor, Fuel: N/A, Range: 7.7, Mass: 5614.3 tonnes
( 60236.5 tonnes loaded), Cargo Capacity: 18027.4 m^3, Comfort:
0, Ordnance Carried: None, Crew: 12 Bridge, 37 Engineering,
5 Security, 3 Stewards, 3 Medical, Total Life Support: 90 people
Ship Status Sheet Characteristics
Movement: 6 ( 3 loaded), Screens: None, Radiated Signature:
6, Radial Reflected: 8, Lateral Reflected: 10, Targeting
Computer: None, Radial Profile: +0, Lateral Profile:
+1, Armor: None, Hull Hits: 30/8/15, Power Plant Hits:
60/12 Active Sensors: None; Passive Sensors: 1, Critical
Hit Locations: computer, life support, drive, continuous, Bridge:
1x Captain, 1x Navigator, 1x Communications, 2x Engineer ( 1 helm, 1 monitor),
1 Computer, TAC: 1 Passive Operator Damage Control: 18 crew
( 6 full teams)