OBT Forum

(Further proof I have both lost my damned mind, and played too much Kerbal Space Program)

Belters in the Niops Association have always been an odd, but small, bunch, and the Niops Association Civil War, turning Niops V, VI and VII against one another, followed by the invasion and resistance against the Word of Blake, didn't help matters.  What it did do, though, is stretch the supplies of technology even thinner for Niopian Belters.

Fortunately, the Niops Association's agreement to expand asteroid mining in partnership with Interstellar Expeditions has been a tremendous boon for Niopian Belters.  Unfortunately, they are still too often finding themselves having to scrounge for hand-me-down technology, either from the rest of the Niops Association, from Interstellar Expeditions, or from trade with other systems.  This left the Belters short on a reliable source of small shuttles and other spacecraft, and, like production of Space Hound IndustrialMechs for mining operations, the Belters have begun producing their own small shuttles, through the newly-founded Niops Association Space Administration

Unfortunately, a standard for fusion engines is still in short supply, so "NASA" has been forced to standardize on a collection of interchangable modules and parts, using the Pogo aerospace fighter/shuttle as a starting point.  The basic craft, dubbed the Corvus, features a standardized two-seat cockpit module with integrated RCS thrusters, capable of being ejected from the main craft as an escape pod with limited maneuverability.  Basic variations on this command pod include extensions for passenger compartements (nicknamed the "Appaloosa", "Brumby" and "Bigby" ensuring that, in an emergency, all passengers are capable of evacuating a stricken craft at the same time.  This has permitted variations on the basic Corvus system to be used for craft ranging from a mere 5 tons all the way up to 80 tons.

In addition to these spacecraft, small space stations, some no larger than common satellites, have also been put into production.  Built to lower technical standards than the Corvus, many of these stations utilize solar-electric propulsion for stationkeeping - while solar output from an M5V star like Niops is relatively low compared to larger yellow dwarfs like Sol, their needs tend to be modest enough for this to not be an issue.  Also, because the Niopian Belters are, like most Belters, only loosely associated, it's no surprise then that other groups of belters have gone so far as to import or license other spacecraft, such as the Soyuz, common in the Fitvelt Coalition and Davion Outback, or even developed their own homegrown solutions.