Improved Shipbuilding Techniques
Improved Shipbuilding Techniques — Terra Invicta technology. Engineers develop ways to build lighter, larger spacecraft.
About Improved Shipbuilding Techniques
Improved Shipbuilding Techniques is a Terra Invicta technology in Materials with a research cost of 20,000.
Engineers develop ways to build lighter, larger spacecraft.
No matter the craft, and no matter its engine, mass is the foremost obstacle to efficient space travel. The more mass there is to move, the slower it will move - but less mass need not necessarily mean smaller ships. Indeed, it is larger ships we require, to transport more resources and to carry more crew and more colonists. The best approach here is to greenlight designs for orbit-to-orbit craft, which do not land on any planet, moon or asteroid. This removes the need for landing gear, ablative heat-shielding, large wings, and the countless other specialized equipment required for take-off and landing, and thus enables far larger cargo and habitat areas. Shuttles will ferry personnel and cargo to and from our stations and colonies, while strategically-placed fuel and propellant depots further reduce what the ships need to carry themselves. In combination with advances in more lightweight materials, the net result is we can build far larger craft than ever before, without unduly impacting their ability to travel between worlds.