posted
I know I could probably figure it out myself, but how big is this compared to Spacedock as seen in STIII (as oppossed to the twice as big starbase version from TNG)?
Because spacedock is actually a bit of an anomoly in terms of Trek sizes. Trek ships aren't big at all. Well, they are when compared to aircraft carriers and the like, but when put against mile long star destroyers, or 5 mile long Jupiter Mining Corporation haulage and mining vessels, they're quite puny. And the producers have never felt the need to make them massive to compensate. The Sovereign is still titchy compared to the Executor, and Voyager barely registers.
Now, this is a big, long, roundabout way of getting to the fact that Spacedock is, well, fucking massive! Enormous! Huge! The biggest Federation design ever seen outside the upscaled Starbase version (and possibly ignoring the Argos array).
It must have been an almighty task to build it. When starships seem to take years to build, something on this scale would have to have taken far, far, longer.
So...WOULD there have been a precursor to the mushroom spacedock at all? Would the Earth of the late 22nd century build one? And if they did, surely they would have made them last longer than a century? Galaxies are rated to last that long, and they suffer much more wear and tear.
But, er, cool design.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
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posted
Here is my design for the Starfleet Museum and other stations from a few years back. I don't really like the idea of enclosed docks, but having one as a musem works out nicely. Starfleet had to build Spacedock after this design proved too small for Constitution-class ships.
-------------------- When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
If my calculations are correct, this is a reasonably accurate scale chart. I generally assume that Spacedock is primeraly a city, not just a docking station. Think an orbiting Southampton.
quote:Here is my design for the Starfleet Museum and other stations from a few years back. I don't really like the idea of enclosed docks, but having one as a musem works out nicely.
Agreed on both counts. I don't like the enclosed docks much either, which is why I gave my own design three smaller 'satellites' docks instead of one big one. I figure the enclosures were mainly for medium sized transports, freighters and barges although at least one of them could have been purely for the assembly of small vessels and/or sections of larger ships.
quote:Starfleet had to build Spacedock after this design proved too small for Constitution-class ships.
I had basically the same idea. Out of interest, just how many ships are in your museum? I ask because it doesn't look like either of our stations could handle the load. Perhaps the museum in the 24th century consists of several of these old stations that are no longer suitable for modern (C24) service. Say my old SD-1 as the central office, exhibit with a few of your annex designs in close orbit as permanent era specific exhibits?
quote:I always assumed that K7 was named that way as it was bordering Klingon Space.
And what do you suppose the stations on the Katarian border are called? That's not a very sensible system.
posted
Rev's Question: How many ships in the Museum? Answer: Too damn many. Even if both ends of the dumb-bell are hollow, there wouldn't be enough room for all the ships, especially the large Romulan-War era ships. So, I suspect a lot of them are just moored outside. But I don't want to think that Starfleet built anything larger than the double-headed J class. I suppose several could have been built.
-------------------- When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
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posted
The Museum could also have lunar subsurface (pressurized) docks for starships, like the Copernicus Yards have (according to a ST:Mag Sternbach article).
quote:Originally posted by Harry: The Museum could also have lunar subsurface (pressurized) docks for starships, like the Copernicus Yards have (according to a ST:Mag Sternbach article).
Well, I'm a firm believer in keeping spaceships in space. Although the moon's only 1/6 gravity, getting the ships down to the surface and fixing up some sort of supporting armature might be tough.
-------------------- When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
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posted
After a quick tally, I've found that the total number of ships in Masao's Museum is 41 and that's just in the articles written so far. That's way to many for just one station to handle, even if most of them are moored to free orbiting drydocks outside.
Personally I'm really warming to the idea that each of these stations would themselves be museum pieces, so perhaps when each of these types of station was decommissioned an example of it was moved to the SF-museum to double up as functioning dock and an exhibit unto itself. Of course any overflow being handled by more modern facilities, like for instance the Utopia Planitia 'dumbbell' design.
That would mean that the 'Museum' is a cluster of these old space dock, probably in high orbit, say half way between Earth and the moon to avoid becoming a navigational hazard?
P.S. I've updated the scale chart to include Masao's Starbases.
More detail this time, mainly windows and markings (lots of paint). Actually those windows are pretty big too, I calculate that most are about three levels high. With a station this big I suppose they can afford to have such huge vistas. Also note that the top of each of the towers feature and even bigger set of windows, I imagine these to be huge interior split-level control rooms. For the civilian shuttle bay hub I decided to copy the arrangement of the TMP tram-station, just because.
quote:I always assumed that K7 was named that way as it was bordering Klingon Space.
And what do you suppose the stations on the Katarian border are called? That's not a very sensible system.
Sorry, but have you met Starfleet?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
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quote:Originally posted by Reverend: I generally assume that Spacedock is primeraly a city, not just a docking station. Think an orbiting Southampton.
Hopefully Spacedock will have a less shit football team.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
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posted
A lot of the museum ships are quite a bit smaller than Constitution and would easily fit inside the largest of my stations. The biggest ones, like Connie, Siegfried, and Yorktown would have to be parked outside. This is just guessing, however. One of these days I'll have to to see just how many ships I can cram in there.
-------------------- When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Indeed, I suppose the really small ships, like the fighters and the shuttles could be on display inside the carriers and some of the larger starships' hanger decks.
At a guestimation, I reckon you could get about 1/3 of those ships into that double J-class station, that's using all the exterior docking ports.
Still, I'm sure you have other ships in mind they you've yet to write articles for and you've barely touched on the late 23rd century; the Soyuz-class for instance and I'm sure NCC-2000 is getting close to retirement after the Dominion war. Then there is always the early 24th century stuff and I'm sure that as time goes on more and more ships from the mid 24th century will be retired so the museum needs room for such expansion. Especially when the big ships, like the early Ambassadors and the Nebulas start to be decommissioned.
posted
I'm probably not going to write any more articles on TOS movie or 24th C ships, since they're too hard to draw and the field is already too crowded with canon and fan ships. The whole reason I jumped into the Museum business was that almost nothing for TOS and Pre-TOS existed. Anyway, I'm not going to worry about finding room for ships I haven't designed or won't write articles about. Somebody else can go start another museum for later canon ship classes.
-------------------- When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
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