[RFC] Shuttles in Fenspace 2 - The Next Generation

[M Fnord]

Since Rob brought it up in the Stellvia entry, here's round 2 of the Shuttle saga. Pretty much bare notes, suggestions welcome, forgive the wiki markup, etc.

---

~~NOTOC~~

(image goes here)
^ Registry Number: | OV-2## |
^ Base Hull: | Boeing Corp. Space Shuttle Orbiter Upgrade |
^ Drive Type: | Speed (something that isn't a cola-uncola reactor kplzthx) |
^ Drive Rating: | Max velocity 0.05c |
^ Owner of Record: | Variable |
^ Flag of Record: | Variable |
^ Home Port: | Variable |
^ Purpose: | Variable (base model science vessel) |
^ Launched: | Production line began operating late 2014. |
^ Crew: | Variable |
^ Supplementary Crew: | Variable (usually at least one AI shipmind) |
^ Faction: | Variable |
^ Status: | **Active** |

====== Next-Generation Shuttles ======
The waving of [[the Three Graces] and the subsequent April Fools Day purchase by Stellvia Corp. was by no means the end of the Space Shuttle saga in Fenspace.
Not by a long shot.
===== History =====
(notes: After the Columbia accident, Boeing put together a proposal for replacing the lost Orbiter. The proposal, called OV-201, called for a radical upgrade of all internal structures and systems. Carbon-composite frame, modern avonics & all the benefits of 30+ years of aviation engineering knowledge since the Shuttle design was finalized in 1974. OV-201 looks like a normal Orbiter on the outside, but internally looks more like the 777 or 787. Kinda like taking all the body panels off a Studebaker & replacing the internals with F1 gear. Anyway, the design was proposed, then abandoned, since by 2003 the Shuttle was already in countdown to mothballing.
(That last paragraph is actually true, btw. I've not been able to track down a copy of the proposal, but it *was* made.
(Post-wave, the Boeing plan was purchased - dead cheap - by the Soviet Air Force as part of a long-term plan for upgrading Ptichka. OV-201 was examined, modified and upgraded for resources a major mundane multinational would have but a medium-small fen operation would not, as well as adapting the design to use minimal handwavium for non-propulsion/life support systems, making it a "mushytech" vehicle.
(In early 2014, shortly after the fall of Boskone Prime but before the April Fools Day Purchase, the SAF made a licensing agreement with Hephaestus; build OV-201 orbiters in exchange for a cut of the profits (plus SAF's pick of the first litter). WG agrees, and production begins with the first 2xx-series Orbiters coming off the assembly line a year or so later. The customer of choice being, naturally, Artemis.)
===== Vehicles =====
(technical notes: 201 orbiters are - unless requested by the buyer - built to Graces/NASA spec, with open cargo bay and minimal crew space.)
=== The Fleet ===
^ Registry Number ^ Vehicle Name ^ Flag ^ Purpose ^
| OV-201 | Enterprise | - | - |
| OV-202 | Columbia | Soviet Air Force | Research |
| OV-203 | Challenger | Artemis Corp | Research; support for McAuliffe Station |
| OV-204 | Pathfinder | - | - |
| OV-205 | Phoenix | Artemis Corp | Research; support for Chawla Station |
(general notes: Of the orbiters in the first production run, Columbia & Challenger are the two more aware of the legacies they bear, and they bear them in two very different ways. Challenger has accepted the burden with remarkable sangfroid (see notes on personality) and intends on forging her own history. Columbia hasn't quite made peace with her predecessor's ghost, leaving her a bit twitchy as she attempts to get out from under OV-101's shadow.)
==== Class Quirks ====
* foo
* bar
* baz
==== Enterprise (OV-201 / OV-101-A) ====
(capsule: First bird off the line. Shipmind avatar is male, African-American, roughly early 30s, vaugely West Virginian accent like Scott Glenn in "The Right Stuff." Personality tbd.)
=== Quirks ===
* foo
* bar
* baz
==== Columbia (OV-202 / OV-102-A) ====
(capsule: Second bird off the line, chosen by SAF as part of the licensing agreement, accidentally "sold" to Artemis by WG in a moment of extreme brainfartage. The alpha-fen posturing between the involved parties inspires more than a few filks with a "Lion and the Unicorn" theme. Shipmind avatar is female, caucasian, late 20s, attractive in that "repressed librarian" sort of way. Personality is brisk, businesslike with a touch of uncertainty.)
=== Quirks ===
* **//Just Being Careful://** Part of her general complex regarding her predecessor, Columbia is extremely paranoid when it comes to atmospheric entry. Instead of simply driving down like any other fenship or even the other Orbiters, Columbia //must// spend at least a half hour checking and rechecking systems before attempting to land anywhere there's an atmosphere.
* bar
* baz
==== Challenger (OV-203 / OV-099-A) ====
(capsule: Third bird off the line. Shipmind avatar is female, Asian-American, early 20s, multicolored streaks in her hair and a strong Californian accent. Personality is very San Francisco Buddhist, last-of-the-wild-hippies with a bit of Luna Lovegoodesque wandering attention for flavor.)
=== Quirks ===
* **//Roll Up://** Remaining true to her roots, Challenger does her best work while under the influence of good, quality marijuana. Not in any way that effects crew performance, but a kilo or three of hash loaded into a special compartment in the engine bay is enough to keep her running at optimum for three or four weeks. Removing the hash means a grumpy AI and a reduction of ship performance by up to 60%.
* bar
* baz
==== Pathfinder (OV-204) ====
(capsule: Fourth bird off the line. Shipmind avatar is male, Arab-American, late 40s or early 50s, slight & highly incongruous Minnewegian accent. Personality tbd.)
=== Quirks ===
* foo
* bar
* baz---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[robkelk]

Given what you've posted, Columbia's line under The Fleet would read:
| OV-202 | Columbia | Artemis Corp | Research, Support for station //Chawla// |
Edit: Unless you really wanted to keep Columbia instead, in which case:
| OV-203 | Challenger | Artemis Corp | Research, Support for station //McAuliffe// |
Another line for the box:
| OV-205 | Phoenix | Artemis Corp | Research, Support for station //McAuliffe// |
Edit: or this, if you're changing the above as well:
| OV-205 | Phoenix | Artemis Corp | Research, Support for station //Chawla// |

==== Phoenix (OV-205) ====
(capsule: fifth off the line, first purpose-built for Artemis Corp. Shipmind avatar is female, Asian-American, early 20s, prim and proper with a repressed adventurous streak, and under the delusion that she's Challenger's twin sister. Personality is a cross between stereotypical-straightlaced-JPL-mission-controller and Layla Hamilton from Kaelido Star; needless to say, she's often upset by her "twin's" behaviour.)
=== Quirks ===
* **By the Numbers:** Phoenix is very big on following proper procedure. Carry out everything on the pre-flight checklist, in order, where she can see you doing it, or you're not going anywhere.
* bar
* baz
-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Feinan]

*grin* Looks very interesting. Though I do have to wonder at the Enterprise personality being male.

---

(capsule: First bird off the line. Shipmind avatar is male, African-American, roughly early 30s, vaugely West Virginian accent like Scott Glenn in "The Right Stuff." Personality tbd.)

---

*chuckles softly* I mean....aren't Enterprise computers supposed to sound like Majel Barrett? (Sorry - SOMEbody had to say it... )
-Feinan

[M Fnord]

---

*chuckles softly* I mean....aren't Enterprise computers supposed to sound like Majel Barrett?

---

*Trekkie* computers all sound like Majel Barrett. In fact, there's some conspiracy theorists that say the entire Trekkie computer network is one big waved AI hivemind.
Enterprise, OTOH, wasn't built by the Trekkies, therefore has a distinct AI.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Bob Schroeck]

It's a pity that Columbia's avatar doesn't look like Nell "Little Nell" Campbell... -- Bob
---------
One of the primary differences between the Left and the Right is their attitude toward the Future. The Radical wants the Future to have gotten here yesterday. The Reactionary wants the Future quietly shot and the corpse buried where no one can find it.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[M Fnord]

So Rob's ISS post got me back on this track a little, and so here's an updated entry. Note that instead of doing all the ships on one page like in the Graces article, this one will handle a basic explanation of the idea & then link to individual ship articles. --Mal

---

~~NOTOC~~

{{ art:ov-200-emblem.png?x285 |OV-200 project emblem}}
^ Registry Number: | OV-2## |
^ Base Hull: | [[Hephaestus]/VVS OV-200 Space Shuttle Orbiter Upgrade |
^ Drive Type: | Variable |
^ Drive Rating: | Max velocity 0.05c |
^ Owner of Record: | Variable |
^ Flag of Record: | Variable |
^ Home Port: | Variable |
^ Purpose: | Variable (base model science vessel) |
^ Launched: | Production line began operating mid 2014. |
^ Crew: | Variable |
^ Supplementary Crew: | Variable (usually at least one AI shipmind) |
^ Faction: | Variable |
^ Status: | **Active** |

====== OV-200 ======
The waving of [[the Three Graces] was by no means the end of the Space Shuttle saga in Fenspace.

Not by a long shot.

===== History =====
The OV-200 project began with a design study put together by Boeing in mid-2003, shortly after the loss of the Shuttle //Columbia.// The proposal outlined two possible methods of replacing the destroyed orbiter. The first method, dubbed "OV-106," was basically a rebuild of the original vehicle using remaining structural spares and modern assembly line techniques to minimize construction time. The second method, dubbed "OV-201," proposed a radical upgrade to the Shuttle's internal structure and systems. Boeing suggested using composite framing similar to that on the 787 airliner in as many areas as possible to improve performance, replacing the outdated hydraulic avonics with more modern electric actuators, exchanging the fragile silca thermal protection for the Inconel shingles originally designed for the Venture Star program, significant upgrades to the onboard computers (beyond even what had previously been accomplished in refits), etc. In short, OV-201 was designed to benefit from the thirty-plus years of advances in aerospace engineering since the Shuttle design was frozen in 1974.

The study was abandoned by Boeing not long after it was completed. By that point it had become clear that neither NASA nor the government were looking for a replacement for //Columbia// and were instead gearing up for retiring the Shuttles by the end of the decade. Despite some interest shown at several aerospace symposiums, the Boeing study was filed away along with the B2707, the Sonic Cruiser and the rest of the stillborn brilliant design ideas.

The 106/201 study resurfaced in 2011, when it was purchased (along with a whole stack of Boeing aircraft and spacecraft designs) by the [[gazetteer:factions:Soviet Air Force] as sort of an impulse buy on the Central Committee's part. The study was worked over by the VVS with an eye towards using it as a guide for refitting //[[Ptichka]//, modifying some concepts as more practical in Fenspace (an abundance of Venusian carbon composites meant the airframe could be 85% buckytube laminate instead of 50% carbon-reinforced plastic as in the original study, for example) as well as eliminating things that weren't available to a middling fen operation (the use of 100% top-line computer components in the glass cockpit, for example; handwaved consumer-grade electronics would work just as well).

In March 2014 the VVS approached [[ships:Hephaestus] Foundry with the 201 study (now redubbed "OV-200") and an offer to license the design in exchange for a cut of the revenue and one vehicle fresh off the assembly lines. WireGeek was initially hesitant to agree at first - Space Shuttles being large and time-consuming to build, even if you've got the best industrial setup in Fenspace - but the subesquent purchase of the original Shuttle hardware by [[gazetteer:companies:Stellvia Corporation] changed his mind. With the wealthiest entity in Fenspace now owning a large corps of trained cosmonauts and planning a pretty aggressive expansion into intrasystem science missions, a market for OV-200 Shuttles opened up with a bang.

The first OV-200 Orbiters were unveiled at a public ceremony on Hephaestus in November 2014. The first vehicle, OV-201 //Enterprise//, was purchased by [[gazetteer:factions:united federation of planets|Starfleet] "in order to maintain appropriate heritage." The second, OV-202 //Columbia//, was purchased by the Soviet Air Force as a lead element for their exploration force.

===== Vehicles =====

The OV-200 shows the VVS bias towards designs with minimal amounts of handwavium built in. Compared to the average fenship, an OV-200 orbiter is practially hardtech. Handwavium is used primarily in the propulsion and life support systems, with only a very light application for structural or hull reinforcement. This means that the vehicles are all low-quirk, with most quirks clustering in the onboard AIs.

The Orbiters are built to match NASA specifications unless otherwise requested by the purchaser.

==== Class Quirks ====
* //**Good Morning Starshine II:**// Similar to the class quirk displayed by [[the Three Graces], the OV-200 Orbiters need music played at the beginning of each workday in order to function at peak efficiency. Unlike the Graces, the same song //can// be reused (no more than three times in a row per any given month), but each Orbiter needs a distinct //genre// of music played for the best possible effect.

==== The Fleet ====

^ Hull Number ^ Name ^ Insignia ^ Launched ^ Flag ^ Purpose ^
| OV-201 | USS //[[Enterprise]// | {{art:enterprise-emblem.png?x50}} | 11.15.2014 | Starfleet | Explorer|
| OV-202 | MCU //[[Columbia]// | {{art:columbia-patch.png?x50}} | 11.15.2014 | Soviet Air Force | Research |
| OV-203 | //[[Challenger]// | {{art:challenger-emblem.png?x50}} | 02.27.2015 | Artemis Corporation | Research, support for McAuliffe Station |
| OV-204 | //[[Phoenix]// | {{art:phoenix-emblem.png?x50}} | 02.27.2015 | Artemis Corporation | Research, support for Chalwa Station |
| OV-205 | //[[Pathfinder]// | {{art:pathfinder-emblem.png?x50}} | - | - | - |
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"