Spaceports

The barren launchpad is able to send and receive payloads from orbit. Because of the relatively calm atmospheric conditions of most barren planets, the primary focus of this facility is on interfacing effectively with adjacent facilities, allowing for passengers and commodities to be easily organized, scanned, and transported to the appropriate areas. The obvious importance of a centralized spaceport often leads to its becoming a focal point of local culture, including trade, entertainment, and even illegal activities.

In order to transport produced commodities from the lower orbit position of the node structure to the higher orbit of spaceports and trade hubs above gas giant planets, an old but reliable technology was revisited. The lack of a solid surface requires a very low recoil launch system, a situation that prohibits the use of solid fuel rockets, but the Hohmann Mass Driver uses a series of triggered electromagnets instead, producing minimal waste force. Essentially an enormous cargo railgun, the device propels a ferrous canister to a waiting deceleration receptacle aboard a high-orbit facility.

After years of customer complaints about catastrophic failures resulting from punctured fuel pods and corroded launch towers, a new line of hazardous environment launch facility was introduced. In addition to improving the overall structural integrity of the entire facility, each section is heavily compartmentalized. Should any one section fail or collapse, the faulty section is immediately locked down. Redundant systems allow the entire facility to continue functioning for some time. The rockets used by this type of launch pad are also heavily modified, sacrificing some cargo capacity for additional protection.

After years of customer complaints about catastrophic failures resulting from punctured fuel pods and corroded launch towers, a new line of hazardous environment launch facility was introduced. In addition to improving the overall structural integrity of the entire facility, each section is heavily compartmentalized. Should any one section fail or collapse, the faulty section is immediately locked down. Redundant systems allow the entire facility to continue functioning for some time. The rockets used by this type of launch pad are also heavily modified, sacrificing some cargo capacity for additional protection.

Despite being anchored to the ocean floor, the underwater launch pad is able to deliver and receive payloads from orbit via two separate mechanisms. First, a compressed gyrostabilized gas containment system provides the required pressure to propel a solid fuel rocket to the surface of the water, where it can achieve escape velocity under its own power. Secondly, the structure houses an automated drone bay capable of retrieving splash-down canisters deposited on the surface as well as recovering booster stages of export rockets for reuse.

After years of customer complaints about catastrophic failures resulting from punctured fuel pods and corroded launch towers, a new line of hazardous environment launch facility was introduced. In addition to improving the overall structural integrity of the entire facility, each section is heavily compartmentalized. Should any one section fail or collapse, the faulty section is immediately locked down. Redundant systems allow the entire facility to continue functioning for some time. The rockets used by this type of launch pad are also heavily modified, sacrificing some cargo capacity for additional protection.

After years of customer complaints about catastrophic failures resulting from punctured fuel pods and corroded launch towers, a new line of hazardous environment launch facility was introduced. In addition to improving the overall structural integrity of the entire facility, each section is heavily compartmentalized. Should any one section fail or collapse, the faulty section is immediately locked down. Redundant systems allow the entire facility to continue functioning for some time. The rockets used by this type of launch pad are also heavily modified, sacrificing some cargo capacity for additional protection.

The temperate launchpad is able to send and receive payloads from orbit. Because of the relatively calm atmospheric conditions of most temperate planets, the primary focus of this facility is on interfacing effectively with adjacent facilities, allowing for passengers and commodities to be easily organized, scanned, and transported to the appropriate areas. The obvious importance of a centralized spaceport often leads to its becoming a focal point of local culture, including trade, entertainment, and even illegal activities.