Starports

>Submissions: [email removed] -or- [email removed]
>
>From: Rob Dean [email removed]
>On starports:  I like the idea of a detailed starport generator.  Any ideas
>as to what ought to go into it?  SHipyard size? Number of landing/docking
>bays? Number of retail stores on the concourse?
>
>Rob Dean

The first and major consideration is "wholeness" (for lack of better term).
Is the Starport located wholy on the plant's surface or does it have an
orbital component and, if so, of what size.

The orbital component will, of course, be the docking/unloading station for
planetoid and dispersed configuration ships, as well as for ships without
M-drives and very, very big ships (Atlantis class comes to mind).

The primary division of the land-side Starport shall be for ships landing on
gravitic M-drive versus ships on rocket M-drive (not many of those, true),
and shall possibly include a runway (for the streamlined ships) and a landing
field with blast resistant tarmac for the vertically landing rockets and
unstreamlined ships.

One of the important parameters to decide is the number of ship-berths and
their size --- one 40,000 ton berth probably takes the space which may be
used by 150 Far Traders. The Starport, it seems, is a fairly large place (A
LOT larger than anything imagined in one of White Dwarves dealing with the
matter).

The next thing to decide is the size of the repair/maintenance area, provision
for simultaneous repair of ships, refueling stations and vehicles, fuel,
spares and equipment storage and parking space for 'port vehicles. Not to
mention designing these vehicles (cranes, mobile work platforms, tugs, loading
vehicles --- Rob, this is going to fall in your lap, I am afraid).

Then come the customs houses and warehouses, incoming and outbound processing
areas for cargo and passengers, security vehicles and barracks, shops and
terminals and many other small fry.

Comments?

Marc A. Volovic