A mining platform towed out and left at remote belt locations. Ten miners live here for extended periods, with bi-monthly re-supply of life support and needed supplies. Mined ore is stored in three large ore bays that can be detached towed back to refinery platforms by the resupply ship. There are four small mining “bugs”…
A mining platform towed out and left at remote belt locations. Ten miners live here for extended periods, with bi-monthly re-supply of life support and needed supplies. Mined ore is stored in three large ore bays that can be detached towed back to refinery platforms by the resupply ship.
There are four small mining “bugs” that have a laser drill and manipulators to gather ore and return it to the main platform for storage.
The platform has station keeping thrusters only.
I was just thinking about this (as written up).
If they were getting resupply missions, and the return trip was taking ore away, where do we suspect the fuel to power the platform is coming from?
Options:
a) The belting team also (in addition to taking in ore) captures ice chunks or other types of belt matter that could be turned into hydrogen (and the platform has the ability to do that)
OR
b) The outgoing resupply mission uses a multi-cargo setup such that on the way out, they can carry big tanks of hydrogen (internal bladders) as well as the other mission necessary staples and then when the hydrogen has been pumped over to the platform, the internal bladders can be collapsed and stored and then the cargo area can be filled with ore
OR
c) Something I have not thought of
Thoughts?
LikeLike
I was thinking a fuel processor as well. I didn’t do any “stats” for this platform so that could easily be figured in. I might knock it up in Mongoose Trav or Cepheus.
LikeLike
It’s a good project because ‘belting’ is a staple of the genre even beyond Traveller AND things like the platform are the sort of things people don’t find very often. We’ve got at least 5 different renditions of the Type-S and more of the Beowulf, but the really odd and useful places for things to happen in space or on planetary surfaces (inside a complex of some sort) just don’t get enough attention.
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought of it, but if you collected your ship deck plans, you could probably sell some on drivethrurpg.com or the like. You’ve done so much nice work and I’m sure folks would throw a few credits your way.
LikeLike
I have stolen so much work that other people have done I just see this as paying it forward.
LikeLike
The Woolshed Wargamer 
Leave a comment