Starships play a critical role in the universe of 2300 AD. They have allowed mankind to exceed the limitations of the solar system and discover a new and fascinating frontier to explore. They have allowed humanity to expand and colonize some 29 worlds. Starships provide the vital link that connects these colony worlds to Earth and to each other.
It is estimated that there are some 10,000 spacecraft in operation throughout colonial space at the turn of the 24th century. Roughly 2/3 of these are small craft and interplanetary vessels, while the remaining 3,300 are interstellar capable starships. Of these starships, approximately 20% are military in nature, 20% are government owned transports, liners, and couriers, 50% are owned by corporations and megacorporations, and only about 5% are actually under private or small business ownership.
While a larger percentage of vessels are actually under private and small business operation, the majority of these are leased from a larger corporation. In fact, due to the cost of these vessels, many corporations rather than letting one of their ships sit idle, will lease them out for weeks or even months at a time.
The bulk of starships are large, corporate or government owned transports which are under contract to provide regular service to specific colony worlds. These are the big, slow, freighters which keep the core of goods and materials flowing. Other starships operate under limited term "Run Contracts" which promise that a specified amount of cargo will be transported from one location to another within a given amount of time. These are the "Yankee Traders" of the 24th century. The majority of these ships are privately operated, and either privately owned or leased. Such vessels number in the low hundreds, and while they may not be the 'life blood' of all of colonial space, their hard working, talented crews, inspired by dreams of success and 'The Good Life', certainly embody the spirit of mankind.
A Brief Note From the Editors
For those of you who hunger for deck plans, we feature the Aconit-class Frigate which appears both in the 2nd edition 2300 AD rules ( Director's Guide) as well as in Star Cruiser. This ship was chosen because of its use by many nations as well as its capacity for non-military use.