Merchant Explorer

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This is a LBB2 design to go along with Sigg Oddra's Factor Career:

Merchant Explorer (type Ms): Using a 200-ton hull, the merchant explorer is a vessel designed for the investigation of relatively unknown or previously unexplored worlds with the intention of establishing new trade routes and discovering potentially valuable resources, goods and technology. It is intended to operate singly or as part of a group of up to four vessels, but the most common deployment is in pairs.

The vessel mounts jump drive-B, manoeuvre drive-B and power plant-B, giving performance of jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. There is fuel tankage of 60 tons, sufficient for the power plant and one jump-2. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer model/2bis. There are 8 staterooms and 2 emergency low berths. Two triple turrets are installed, with fire control; each mounts a beam laser, missile rack and sandcaster. One GCarrier is carried in a specially fitted hangar within the ship. Cargo capacity is 51 tons. The hull is streamlined.

The merchant explorer requires a crew of five: pilot, engineer, medic and two gunners. In addition, a navigator and a factor are normally carried on exploratory missions. The spare stateroom is for an additional specialist, or may be used to hold extra stores. The ship costs MCr92.2 and takes 12 months to build.

HIGH GUARD STATISTICS:
Ms-5963 Tanken Ms-26222S1-030000-10001-0 MCr108.538 200 tons TL12
Tonnage: 200 tons (standard). 2,800 cubic metres.
Crew: Factor, pilot, navigator, engineer, medic, 2 gunners.
Passengers: One. 2 emergency low berths.
Cargo: 53 tons (standard). 742 cubic metres.
Fuel: 44 tons (standard).
Performance: Jump-2. 2-G. Power plant-2. 4 EP. Agility 1.
Electronics: Model/2bis computer.
Hardpoints: Two hardpoints mounting triple turrets.
Armament: Two beam lasers in two batteries. Two missile racks in two batteries.
Defences: Two sandcasters operating as two batteries.
Craft: One GCarrier.
Fuel treatment: Integral fuel scoops. On-board fuel purification plant.
Cost: MCr108.538 singly. MCr86.8304 in quantity.

VARIANTS:
The most common change to the standard design is to mount mission-specific modules in the cargo bay (with thanks to Golan2072's new HG components).

Exploratory missions usually carry a basic lab module:

Basic Lab: A simple general-purpose scientific laboratory. Comes in "modules" (or module-equivalents) of 10 dtons each, costing MCr5 per and requiring one scientist per module. No EPs are required.

The search for marketable plant material requires the use of a hydroponics system for the transportation of live specimen:

Full Hydroponics: A full, self-contained ecosystem containing hydroponics, yeast/algae/fish tanks as well as heavy recycling equipment, the Full Hydroponics are, theoretically self sufficient, though nutrient (and other resources) loss requires the addition of 5kg (Cr1,000) of replacements per year of use. Each Full Hydroponics Module (or module-equivalent) displaces 2 tons, costs MCr1 and could provide complete life support (except for heating and radiation protection provided by power-plant powered systems and the ship's hull, respectively) for one person for a practically infinite time (as long as nutrients are supplied and the power plant operates). No EPs or crew required.

The mothership of a full four-ship expedition group is equipped with an extended medlab and a machineshop:

Extended Medlab: While each ship has a small medical facility subsumed in its stateroom cost and tonnage, some designers may wish to include a larger, better equipped medlab in their designs. An Extended Medlab holds hospital-grade medical equipment and allows for complex medical procedures (such as extensive surgical operations) to take place; it requires one Medic and treats up to two patients per module, displaces 8 dtons and costs MCr8. No EPs are required.

Machine Shop: A small workshop capable of fabricating some types of spare parts and of repairing equipment; its exact capabilities and raw material requirements are left for the referee's discretion. A Machine Shop Module (or module equivalent) requires one skilled worker (with the appropriate skill to the item being produced/repaired), masses 10 dtons and costs MCr5. No EPs are required.