While all ships have an official name, more often than not the crew will often call a ship by its nickname. Some nicknames come from (in)famous incidents or battles. Others are just puns on their official name. A few nicknames seem to defy any kind of logic, but just "are" in the same way that… Continue reading You call your ship what?
Category: Worldbuilding
Ship Classification Societies
While shipyards build ships and shipping companies operate (and usually own) ships, who examines the designs that the yards build off and ensure that the shipping lines operate safe equipment? The answer to that is the Ship Classification Society. As an organization, they maintain the technical standards for the construction and operation of space ships,… Continue reading Ship Classification Societies
Iris doors: Who approved these?
Iris doors? Oh, they're very shiny, very high tech. Nothing says "future tech" more than an iris door. But you really don't see them on spaceships anymore. What's the problem with iris doors? Well, a couple of things. First off, they're complex pieces of hardware. Ever see one with the maintenance panels off? That's a… Continue reading Iris doors: Who approved these?
Reactors and Power Systems
One of those awkward things about space travel is that you need to bring everything with you. You have no air, no food, and critically, no power. Fortunately, being a member of a spacefaring civilization does give you a few options as to how you can provide power for your ships. As always, a ship… Continue reading Reactors and Power Systems
Emergency Ship Data Recorders
While many people state that space is not an ocean (and they're admittedly right once you look at it), that didn't mean that a lot of good ideas didn't cross over from naval ships to space ships. When travel (and commerce) finally came to the stars in force, a lot of the old safety requirements… Continue reading Emergency Ship Data Recorders
Navigation Infrastructure
Navigating in space is a surprisingly challenging affair. While one is rarely concerned about running into some unmapped planet, simply navigating by dead reckoning is a recipe for disaster. A well surveyed system will have orbital datasets for all of its components, right down to most of the asteroids, but this is by no means… Continue reading Navigation Infrastructure
