• Nobles of Null is a forum based roleplay site where sci-fi and magic collide. Here, Earth remains fractured and divided despite humanity reaching out to the stars. Worse still, the trans-human slaves of one major power have escaped, only to establish their own Empire, seething with resentment at abuses of the past. Even the discovery of aliens, though medieval in development, has failed to rally these squabbling children of Earth together with its far darker implications. Worse still, is the discovery of the impossible - magic. Practiced by the alien locals, nearly depleted and therefore rare, its reality warping abilities remains abstract and distant to the general populace. All the while, unseen in the darkness of space, forces from without threaten to press in. For those with eyes opened by insight, it is clear that an era is about to end, and that a new age will dawn.

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Star Dragon​


"Aha," I said. "I see your problem. If you can get a ship into orbit, you're halfway to the moon."

"No," Bob said. "If you can get your ship into orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."

-- Jerry Pournelle and Robert Heinlein "Halfway to Anywhere"
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The American Union's colonization of other worlds starts with leaving earth. During the initial colonization rush this was achieved using the first Star Dragon lifters. These massive, amphibious, rockets carried some of the first starship-grade fusion reactors which were far too large for smaller reusable rockets. The design was sold, improved, and refurbished over the centuries but the fundamental design remained the same.

Though launches from earth have become more rare as space infrastructure has continued to develop, the Star Dragon is still a vital component of getting into space throughout the Human Sphere.

Overview


Class: Star Dragon
Operators: The Magnetic Assembly, American Union, GDW, HFR
Manufacturer: The Magnetic Assembly, American Union, GDW, HFR

Length:
Diameter:

Crew: 0

Propulsion:
Maximum Acceleration:

Range: Surface to Orbit

Sensors:

Cargo Capacity:

History

The original Star Dragon was loosely based on the Sea Dragon from 1962, leading to the name Star Dragon.

As the rush to colonize the Solar System and beyond started, the reusable small rocket launches struggled to keep up with the demand for moving cargo into orbit. Larger rockets that could do the job even more cheaply were in demand. The only way to do this would be to use large fusion engines, and launch them from deep inside the pacific ocean where their launch energy wouldn't threaten cities or coastlines.

The design would proliferate throughout the Human Sphere, often with many of the same components with the fusion engine being of some domestic design. By the 2300s, the design could be found on almost every planet, lifting cargo into orbit.

Variants

Kihawahine

Used by the American Union on Earth and Atlantica, as well as the Magnetic Assembly on Hawking. This variant uses components developed from numerous corporations within the Human Sphere and is capable of water landings only.

T'eng-she

Used by the HRF and other Pacific facing nations on Earth. This version of the rocket incorporates components developed throughout Asia and an HFR developed fusion drive.

Lindworm

The Lindworm is a version of the Star Dragon developed by the GDW. It has a reduced cargo capacity in exchange for better movement speed in the water due to the need to get to especially difficult to launching points often far from European coasts.

While the majority of the rocket is developed in the American Union, the reactor and aquatic drives are GDW in origin.

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