Explorator-class exploratory jumpship

[Ramblefire]

Code: [Select]

Explorator Jumpship
Mass: 50,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 2470
Mass: 50,000
Battle Value: 840
Tech Rating/Availability: D/D-X-X-X
Cost: 3,599,759,000 C-bills

Fuel: 2,500 tons (25,000)
Safe Thrust: 1
Maximum Thrust: 2
Sail Integrity: 3
KF Drive Integrity: 4
Jump Range: 25
Heat Sinks: 99
Structural Integrity: 25

Armor
    Nose: 7
    Fore Sides: 3/3
    Aft Sides: 3/3
    Aft: 3

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Small Craft (4)         2 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (1580.5 tons)     1 Door   

Ammunition:
None

Dropship Capacity: 0
Grav Decks: 1 (80 m)
Escape Pods: 15
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  10 officers, 45 enlisted/non-rated, 20 bay personnel, 10 passengers

Notes: Mounts 21.5 tons of primitive aerospace armor.

Weapons:     Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
None


One of the biggest problems with the Explorer class jumpship is that it actually sucks as an explorer. It doesn't have the supplies, fuel, or endurance to actually go haring off into the universe and go exploring.

I can upgrade the jumpship to get those supplies, fuel, and endurance by downgrading to a 1/2 primitive jumpship. I knock off 5 lightyears, but I feel like that's more than made up by the ability to go for longer. And the tansit drive also allows for the ship to actually go into the system so the crew can use those shuttles to actually go exploring in cool places for as long as they so damn please.

[Cannonshop]

I like and endorse this!!

[Lagrange]

There's a rube-goldberg approach which achieves something similar at around 1/5th the price. 

You have a jumpship with a single docking collar which carries a dropship with reserves and a tug.  The dropship then tugs the jumpship in-system at a half g.

[Daryk]

Rube Goldberg indeed! 

[Ramblefire]

I like and endorse this!!

High praise indeed.

There's a rube-goldberg approach which achieves something similar at around 1/5th the price. 

You have a jumpship with a single docking collar which carries a dropship with reserves and a tug.  The dropship then tugs the jumpship in-system at a half g.

But then you lose out on the charm and aesthetic of having an exploration ship. If you're managing a fleet to go exploring, might as well go whole hog on it.

This is basically for two very specific kinds of rich bastard. The kind who wants his own "warship" to tool around in without incurring any kind of the scrutiny and problems from owning a Sylvester or something.
And the kind who wants a specific kind of adventure. You, your friends, your shipmates, and the whole wide galaxy stretching out before you full of weird, wild, and wacky things for you to find and poke. Less university science expedition and more Monkey D Luffy

[Daryk]

Praise from Cannonshop should absolutely be treasured! 

If you're really going exploring though, you might as well drop all the way down to 15 Light Year range and throw the rest into cargo.