The Real Stars of The Galaxy: Our Glorious Space Ships!

[RogueMason]

I own a couple of ships, but exploration-wise...



NAME: IEV Libra II
CLASS: Lakon Spaceways Asp Explorer
OFFENSE: 2x 2E Pulse Lasers, fixed
DEFENSE: 3A Shield Generator
POWER: 5A Reactor
PROPULSION: 5D Engines
FSD: A5 Frameshift Drive
OTHER EQUIPMENT: Advanced Discovery Scanner, Detailed Surface Scanner, Fuel Scoop (-insert rating here-), Heat Sinks, Field Maintenance Unit, additional fuel tank
DECOR: Tactical Ice paint (for that old NASA Space Shuttle look), Explorer Pioneer decals (Sides, and only at the moment; pictured above are Trailblazer decals), Combat Dangerous decals (front, to show off that, yes, I am prepared to fight if necessary)

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Named for the zodiacal constellation under which it's owner and operator was born, despite the owner (bounty hunter CMDR Matt Mason) not actually conforming to the shambles that are astrology and horoscopes, the IEV (Interstellar Exploration Vessel) Libra II had been in service for several months after the unfortunate loss of the first Asp to carry the name (slammed into a solar panel on an Orbis station...). The second ship to bear the name operated as a medium-heavy combat vessel for bounty hunting purposes. After a time working in Imperial space, the ship was retired from this field as it wasn't deemed to be agile enough for dealing with smaller fighters adequately, despite actually excelling for the most part at handling enemy ships. The ship was thus replaced by an advanced Imperial Courier. However, that wasn't the end of the line for the Libra II. A few months later, CMDR Matt Mason decided to embark on a relatively long-duration exploratory flight, and so needed to do some modifications to the ship before she'd be ready for her mission. A couple of pit stops later, and it was go time. The ship left the Alliance system of 70 Virginis on the 23^{[SIZE=1]rd[/SIZE]} June 3301.

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The route taken by the Libra II.

Over a period of 6 weeks, the Libra visited the several nebulae including the North America Nebula, NGC 6357, and the Cat's Paw. It took 4 weeks almost exactly to reach Sagittarius A*, and there had been a couple of small incidents that caused minor damages to the ship, usually due to being wrenched from supercruise by High Metal Content planets in an effort to finish the bloody scans. The inbound leg of the trip was much less eventful, though it did include a stop by the Great Annihilator system. Overall, the mission lasted exactly 6 weeks before the Libra returned to its starting point, 70 Virginis. The ship managed to hold steady over 65kLY, despite suffering some cuts and bruises, and the data collected over the duration of the flight sold for ~56,000,000cr.

Upon returning to civilised space, the ship underwent a combat refit for a short time before being re-equipped for exploration purposes. As of now, the Libra sits in her docking bay at Fawcett Hub, awaiting its next mission. The ship has quite a history behind it now, even though it's only been in service for a relatively short time.

 

[Kancro Vantas]

UPDATED with last submission!!

Awesome ship, the Libra II!

Thank you everyone!

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

This is going very well Kancro

 

[Anuranium]

Gjallarhorn


Bought at Penzias Dock in Fotla. Records show that it's previous owner was a trader who have had an unfortunate encounter with the Bank of Zaonce and thus had to sell the vessel in order to pay off dept. The ship was in poor condition. Rust, wires hanging down from the ceiling, equipped with a makeshift shield and 2 pulse lasers which might have looked better on a sidewinder.



What the previous owner had done, I don't know, but it serve the purpose of a trader quite excellent. Cargo hold, jump range and defensive capabilities, once outfitted correctly, made this the obvious choice for me.

My maiden voyage went to Adams Orbital in Beta-1 Tucanae. I had heard a rumor that they had some of the best modules in the galaxy. A less than graceful encounter with the toastrack upon entering Adams Orbital, made sure my wallet was even smaller, and the ship even uglier.
The ship might be a bargain, but the chief mechanic (in a suit!) at Adams Orbital was disgusted by the look of the ship as he entered the pad. I told him that I needed to maximize the ship's cargo and jump capabilities, and that I had only 5 million credits to do so. He laughed hysterically straight into my face, and told me he couldn't outfit it properly even if I gave him 50 million.

He was right. Every module costs a fortune, and even the worst of them emptied my wallet quite instantly. I needed money, quickly. Laedla would make sure of that. Slaves, lots and lots of slaves.

And so began a relationship with would last for a long time.
Some highlights of the track-record of the Gjallarhorn

- Served as a trader for various empire system, most notably at Laedla and Siddha.
- First expedition to the NGC 7822 nebula
- Expedition to the great flaming balls of the galaxy (VY Canis Majoris, RW Cephei, Star of India, Al Anz, Hasseleh)

- Second expedition to NGC 7822, Veil Nebula vest, Veil Nebula east, Pelican Nebula, North America Nebula.

- Expedition to Cygni X-1 and Elephant's Trunk Nebula
- Expedition to the Pillars of Creation (Eagle Nebula) and various systems beyond.
- Extensive repairs and refitting after a collision with a navigation beacon at Lave while hunting pirates. After an inspection the navigation beacon did only suffer a small dent.
- Served in various less notable wars both for the Federation and against it, depending on who paid the most.
- Major overhaul at Zaonce. All components in the ship replaced with newer and more durable hardware. Due to economical policies for Faulcon Delacey, the ship is actually better and cheaper to maintain than it ever was before.
- Minor expedition to Y Canum Venaticorum
- Expedition to Sagittarius A*. A speedrun made from Sol to Sagittarius A* made in 12hours 58 minutes, which caught the eye of a great race organizer and kicked off the Buckeball Sag A* race.

- Race to Sagittarius A*, attempt #2 10hours 36minutes
- Punitive mission to expel the Sag A* sniper

- First Fuel Rat rescue. Rescuee was 0,19LY for entry point of the star. Ship suffered extensive wear and tear damage from the long supercruise and had to repair for 8,8 million credits.
- Performed a fuel rat rescue 2800LY above the galactic plane.
- Participated in the Distant Worlds Expedition to Beagle Point (Jan-March 3302).

Equipment:
As extensive trading and valuable data from exploring the stars have paid off, my financial situation has greatly improved. Gjallarhorn has over the time had a wide variety of equipment. At first specialized as a trader with 20LY range, then later stripped to become a long range explorer with 39,4LY range and at times of war tanked up with offensive and defensive capabilites to deal with most threats.

Currently it fills the role of a true multirole ship fitted for combat, mining and exploration. Also undergoing heavy engineer modifications.


Although the wires are still hanging from the ceiling, and the paintjob is worn down by extensive travels in the galaxy, it carries the very best equipment money can buy.
It serves it's purpose beautifully.

 

[Kancro Vantas]

Gjallarhorn

This is probably one of the most legendary vessels out there in the Galaxy, CMDR Anuranium!!

Your reputation and service in a myriad of situation and key events have shaped the Galaxy as we know it!

Thank you for posting and honored to have you as a friend in game!

 

[CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI]

THE WORM


The WORM lurking toward an uncharted Red Giant in the core area.

RESERVED, ACCESS DENIED.
SEPP Intelligence Criptography Protocol Enhanced

 

[AsukaZ]

The 'Red Rabbit' (Lakon Asp)


The Lakon Asp named 'Red Rabbit' was commissioned by Commander Asuka Zeppelin as a competitor for the Buckyball race and christened with a rather crisp sauvignon blanc on 23 July 3301. After successfully completing her sea trials she launched on her speed run to Sag A* in the early hours of 24 July 3301.

After successfully completing the race, the 'Red Rabbit' begun a new mission objective of exploring one thousand neutron star systems. Her commander confirmed this secondary objective had been successfully achieved in the early hours of 27 August 3301.

By all the accounts of the operator, this Asp has proven itself a durable and reliable vessel. It has stood up well to the (admitted) ineptitude of it's pilot. In design and capacity the Asp has proven itself once again to be eminently suited to the role of deep space exploration vessel.

System Specifications -

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Examining her fit-out, we note the modules selected are fairly typical of a long range explorer, with one or two notable exceptions. We contacted the owner/operator of the 'Red Rabbit' via deep space relay and asked her about some of her module choices, as well as a fewother questions we were curious about.

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Why the name 'Red Rabbit' ? -
“Well .. I like the colour red. plus I'm a bit of a lefty, so that fits. And 'Rabbit'.. well rabbits go exploring don't they ? Sniffing around everywhere with their twitchy little noses .. also this ship is designed to runaway from trouble, you know .. like rabbits do”.

The vivid colour paint job ? -
“Red rabbit .. Duh!! Next question.”

A5 Thrusters .. -
“ A5 thrusters, yep. I want this ship to be as fast and nimble as it can be, the rabbit thing right?. The last thing I want is to get back to the bubble and be taken out by some random [*BLEEP* (expletive deleted)] looking for his jollies before I can dock. Cowardice is a valid survival strategy, right ? Just ask any rabbit, they seem to survive pretty well, and they breed like .. err.. rabbits. Not that I do that ..not like a rabbit .. always sniffing around .. always eating or .. .. What was the question again?”

Never mind. Shields ?-
“Of course!, top of the line shields. Sure there's a weight penalty, but any rabbit would want to wear a magical cloak of protection, I'm sure they would. And they would pay top dollar, or carrot, or nut, or whatever rabbits use for currency, for the best”.

Any Weapons ? -
“No weapons .. c'mon.. when was the last time you saw a rabbit with fangs and killer claws ? Well apart from killer rabbits that is, but you don't see many of them around any more do you? ”.

Rabbits might like chaff as well Commander. Do you carry chaff ?”
“Yeah .. No. I meant to, but I forgot. heh, silly me eh? I did remember the heatsinks though!”

Well that's something. The extra fuel tank ? -
“hmm Yeah I wasn't sure about that one .. but I'm glad I did now. I can make a lot of little jumps and it hardly makes a dent in the fuel level at all! “

Why a cargo rack ? -
“Well .. as Dwayne Dibley says, 'you never know' .. ”

And the Red Rabbits future ? -
“Short term .. not sure. Long term .. more missions probably .. I'll definitely keep the hull, we've been through a lot together, this little rabbit and I. But I might sell off some of the modules, you know, just for a little extra cash. Especially the fuel scoop, have you seen the price of an A6 scoop ? What do they make those things out of,Unicorn [*BLEEP*] (expletive deleted) “.

We asked Asuka if she would recommend the Asp to fellow explorers -
“What are you,stupid? Of course I would! Exploring is what the Asp was designed for!”
We let that last response slide by without comment.

A final question was put to the Commander, we asked her how she felt arriving with her Asp at the centre of the milky way galaxy for the first time in her career. We received this partial frame extracted from the ships cockpit recorder as a response -

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Current status -

The Asp has received some minor heat damage during her journey. All essential systems have been repaired to 100 percent. Her pilot confirmed the canopy is undamaged. The last confirmed telemetry received from the vessel indicated -

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System status timestamp 27083301023754
...
- ship integrity = Unknown
- hull condition = 93%
- power plant = 93%
- AFMU(off-line) = 94%
- HS launcher(1) = 95%
- HS launcher(2) = 95%
- shield generator(off-line) = 96%
- cargo hatch = 97%
- other systems nominal
...
- AFMU ammunition = 1864 Units
- HS Launcher(1) ammunition = 1 Units
- HS Launcher(2) ammunition = 3 Units
- cargo load = 0 tonnes
- main fuel load = 40 tonnes

We estimate from her flight logs that the current ship integrity is at or near 0 percent

The 'Red Rabbit' currently sits stationary some 17 kLy distant from Sol. Her commander has not to date filed any new flight plan or mission intent. We suspect she is mulling over her options carefully, or catching up on some sleep. Our money is on her bringing the 'Red Rabbit' directly home. We shall keep you informed.

Update 29/08 :
We have received word from the Commander. Her intention now is to "Return with great haste to Mackenzie Orbital in the Cemiess system"

Final update 31/08 :
We are pleased to report that not only did the 'Red Rabbit' on her maiden voyage travel to Sag A*, through vast neutron fields and safely return to civilization, but also earned her commander nearly 90,000,000 credits and the coveted rank of elite explorer.
Right on Lakon !

 

[CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI]

Access Denied
SEPP Intelligence Criptography Protocol Enhanced

 

[Cmdr Tipcee]

Bump!
This thread needs to grow!

 

[Fishy]

The "I'm Only Doing This So You Don't Have To"

Class: Cobra MkIII



History

A classic product of the Faulcon Delacy factories, this ship was first registered on January 1st 3200 in the Lave system, under the registration number QQ-404, to a certain CMDR John O'Noob with no previous record at the Pilots Federation, and who was next seen coming back to Lave in an ejection pod, swearing that he was done with the Alliance and relocating to Ross 154. It is years later - in 3208 - that the surprisingly well preserved wreck of the QQ-404 was recovered by a local smuggler and refitted on the cheap. The ship then went onto a series of often short-term owners, mostly as a temporary measure until one could afford a brand new ship. It has an remarkable history of surviving against the odds, unlike the vast majority of its former-owners. Among other things, its registration number has been attached to records of
- illegal goods smuggling
- attempted bribery
- radioactive waste dumping (outer space)
- overspeed atmospheric entry
- radioactive waste dumping (atmospheric)
- reckless docking
- flying under the influence of alcohol
- flying without insurance
- flying under the influence of narcotics
- taking off without permission
- illicit entry into permit systems
- flying without a valid starlane tax disc
- prohibited photography of military installations
- assault
- murder



Other random dubious honours include:
- according to the ship's logs, the ship didn't miss a single issue of Universal Scientist and Random Intergalactic Gossip since January 1st 3250.
- acting as Broom Wagon at the Wiccan Ware Race of 3250.
- finishing in 3rd place of the Wiccan Ware Race of 3250.
- being given as compensation to the family of the late CMDR Ted Michaels, whose tragical accident in the Wiccan Ware Race of 3250 was fatal as no race support staff seemed to be in range for rescue.
- being painted in hot pink with unicorns and gifted as a 21st birthday present.
- being used as the demonstration ship by the inventor of Cobraball.
- being the last ship to ever play Cobraball.
- first Cobra MkIII to have a customized fuel scoop fitted on the top side of the ship, just in front of the canopy, as an airflow for "better atmospheric racing performances".
- first Cobra MkIII whose pilot's death was ever attributed to "drowning", after an airflow malfunction caused it to crash in the ocean above which it was racing.
- flagship of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Achenar (3256-3256).
- accidentally dropping Baron Boris Duval's sister-in-law's hen party in the quarantined section of Biggs due to a navcomp malfunction.
- being decorated by Baron Boris Duval.

The ship was acquired by CMDR FishMcCool in august 3301 on the second hand market at Daedalus station (Sol system), from a recently retired miner who had placed a classified ad for the ship as a prank. To the remark "mate, that was a joke because i lost a bet, why the **** would you want to fly that piece of ****?!", the new owner is said to have replied "so you don't have to" while putting on a pair of shades.



Last known set-up
On August 16th 3301, the "I'm Only Doing This So You Don't Have To" (registration number QQ-404) got serviced at Lave Station, also undertaking its mandatory National Cobra Testing, overdue since 3214, setting a new record along the way. Outfitting records show the ship to be equipped for exploration:




This was the last time the ship was recorded as it left Lave Station with the following navigation plan: "somewhere around the core, like".

 

[Mango Fizz]

Exploration Asp'Nellie Bly'.

The original Nellie Bly was a woman born on planet Earth in the year 1864. A tireless fighter for better working conditions for women of her time, she is best known for her exploits as an adventurer when in 1889 she set out to travel around the world, a journey at that time of 24,899 earth miles. Her goal for the journey was to break the record of traveling around the world in 80 days, a record set by Phileas Fogg in 1872. Nellie Bly broke the record, returning from her adventure in 72 days after circumnavigating the globe by way of ocean steamships and trains, the most modern transport of the time.

After retirement, Nellie Bly became president of the 'Iron Clad Manufacturing Co' USA a company which in 1904 manufactured a steel barrel which was the model for the 55 and 44 gallon oil drum still in widespread use today in space port hangars throughout the galaxy.

The second known Nellie Bly, a South Seas pearling and trading lugger was built sometime during the 1930's and plied her trade around the Torres Strait north of the Australian continent. Surviving a world war, numerous devastating cyclones/hurricanes and smuggling arms and medicals to resistance fighters in Timor Leste, she was found in 1976 rotting away on a mud bank on the west coast of Australia. Rescued and restored to her former glory by a band of young adventurers known as 'Hippies', the lugger Nellie Bly once again set sail from Darwin harbour bound for the islands of the South Pacific. She sailed into the mists of time bathed in tranquility and adventure.

The spirit of Nellie Bly lives on in this Lakon Asp. Rugged and reliable, capable of far reaching expeditions and fast trading runs, a real workhorse and up for anything. she's a real surviver. I've lost count of the pirate and police interdictions she's evaded or outran. She sustained module and structural damage during a recent exploration trip to the Seagull Nebula but made it back to civilisation no problem. She will go as far as you want to take her and always gets you home. I wouldn't sell her for quids.

She has recently been based in Martinez City Santjalan under contract for SEPP running trades and 'sensitive missions'. Now in Cantor Terminal shipyard undergoing a minor refit. This refit will enable transportation of a space buggy and it is expected that she will be involved in planetary landings. I hope that Nellie Bly may one day be able to land on Planet Earth, the home of both her namesakes. For now she will work on doing near and deep space exploration and scientific expeditions for SEPP.

The ship has cost me about 20 million so far. Worth every credit.

 

[CMDR IPL Victim]

Overview:


The Imperial Courier class Short-range Reconnaissance Vehicle Mark 4 (SRV-4) Icarus began as a test bed to investigate the capabilities of the class. While a full combat loaded Imperial Courier is formidable for the size, the mass of the components reduce the range of the elegant vessel to a disappointing degree. By ruthlessly reducing the mass of the internal components and eliminating the offensive capabilities, it was revealed that the Imperial Courier class vessels can achieve a very respectable range. Thus was born the SRV line or 'Courier Explorer' model Icarus.


http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=707,,2-3I3m4s2C2C3m5A,4zM7OW0Iw03w2jw2UI


(SRV-3 Icarus, prior model to the SRV-4, upon a return from a tour of Betelgeuse and the California Nebula)

Features


The 'Courier Explorer' SRV-4 "Icarus":


-Paintjob: The Imperial Standard paint job is iconic and incredibly hardy. Even after thousands of light years, only moderate scorching is apparent (likely acquired during the deep corona penetration of the super-giant Betelgeuse to scan the innermost planet).


-Weapons: All three weapons hard points remain empty. In this configuration, the Courier is a science vessel, not a combatant.


-Defense: A small 2D shield with a strength of 249 MJ protects the "Icarus" from limited enemy fire and accidental bumps. However, the small power plant and underrated distributor reduce it's effectiveness. Generally, this is not an issue in deep space or secure zones. The SRV-4 mounts one Auto Field-Maintenance Unit (AFM) for limited repair capability while on deep exploration missions. The SRV-3 Icarus mounted two of these AFM modules at the expense of the cargo rack.


-Research: 1 Advanced Discovery Scanner and 1 Detailed Surface Scanner are standard equipment in the Icarus line and featured requirements to fullfill its role as an light Exploration ship. The SRV-4 mounts a single small cargo rack (four ton capacity) for sample return opportunities or for potential Surface Reconnaissance Vehicle storage.


-Operations: Mainly for research or long-range message operations. The SRV-4 adds light cargo ferrying capacity at the cost of slightly reduced jump ranges. Also includes 2D Sensors Suite with a range of 4.6kms and a 1D Life Support with 7:30mins of Oxygen Reserve.


-Displacement: An array of 2D thrusters reduce the agility of the vessel further enforcing the non-combat nature of this variant. In addition, a limited 1D Power Coupling prevents boosting. Combined, these reduced weight modules drive the Icarus to speeds ranging from 216-278 m/s. The Icarus retains a powerful 3A Frame Shift Drive allowing jumps thru hyperspace up to 30.61 light years (unladen with low fuel tank), 25.45 ly when fully laden by fuel and cargo, or 27.25 ly without cargo.

A 3A fuel scoop provides rapid refueling for the standard 8 tons fuel tank.


-Power Management: A class 2A Power Plant provides sufficient power for all the ships systems and superior heat handling for a Courier class vessel, while at the same time reducing the mass compared to the standard class 4 reactor fitted in combat variants.

Additional Images of the Icarus line in action:

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[WR3ND]

"The Ronin" WR3-1V – Vulture – CMDR WR3ND

Further updates to this ship's accomplishments and endeavors will be listed here https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...Continuation?p=6238654&viewfull=1#post6238654 in the new thread I made for honoring the epic ships of Elite, a followup and continuation of this thread.

...

Greetings, Commanders and fellow explorers.

Commander WR3ND reporting in to register my ship, The Ronin, a combat capable Vulture explorer build.

Background:

Soon after my return from my two month long roundabout expedition to the galactic polar extremities through Sgr A in a Diamondback Scout (documented here), I set about constructing The Ronin from the plans I had pieced together and mulled over for a new ship while on my return to colonized space.

The Alioth Independents faction was more than willing to grant me access to the Alioth system and temporary exclusive use of some of their shipyard and outfitting facilities at Irkutsk (never mind the pronunciation) in exchange for a portion of the cartographic data from my expedition. This way I was able to personally oversee the outfitting and testing of the ship without the distractions, inconveniences, and security risks involved in sourcing components elsewhere.

Special thanks to the Irkutsk facility management and crew for securing all of the necessary components.

Service Role & Capabilities:

The Ronin is a specialized multirole combat capable explorer ship designed to withstand, deter, and neutralize hostile threats when necessary, while still providing all essential exploration functionality, though with the trade-offs of having a reduced jump range potential and limited emergency backup systems. It can also serve to function as a highly mobile and cost-effective space superiority fighter, though it isn't ideal for bounty hunting as it does not contain all the recommended systems for that.

In short, this relatively small ship is the "vigilante" of explorer ships, designed to roll with the punches and dish out justice between bouts of exploration to secure valuable cartographic data.

Original Loadout:

https://coriolis.io/outfit/vulture/...f22f2i.AwRj4zyA.CwBjYRhAmW4gzOIA?bn=The Ronin

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Current Standard Loadout:

https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/vul...loBhAOEoUwIYHMA28QgIwV0A=&bn=The Ronin WR3-1V

Service Accomplishments:

An ongoing mission to photo bomb catalog semi-local nebulae and secure their corresponding cartographic data.

Excluding file formatting and compression, all nebula images are unmodified and natively rendered with a resolution of "8K" (7680×4320). They are taken roughly in line between Sol and the nebulae with their vertical centers oriented perpendicularly to the galactic plane.

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Veil Nebula West

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Veil Nebula East

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Sadr Region

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Pelican Nebula

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North America Nebula

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Elephant's Trunk Nebula

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Cave Nebula

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LBN 623

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Pleiades Nebula

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Hind Nebula (system interior view)

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California Nebula

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Eskimo Nebula (system interior view)

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Iris Nebula

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Pencil Nebula

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R CrA Nebula

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IC 4604 Nebula

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Dumbbell Nebula

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Thor's Helmet

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Seagull Nebula

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Rosette Nebula

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Jellyfish Nebula

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Monkey Head Nebula

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Crab Nebula

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Witch Head Nebula

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Barnard's Loop

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Skull and Crossbones Nebula

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NGC 7822 Nebula

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Bubble Nebula

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NGC 7538 Nebula

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NGC 281 Nebula

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Heart Nebula

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Soul Nebula

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Flaming Star Nebula

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Messier 78

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Orion Nebula

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Running Man Nebula

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Flame Nebula

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Horsehead Nebula

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To be continued...

...

99th ship registered in the Crab Nebula Expedition of 3302. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=241638

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Waypoint 0 (launch site) – Mitterand Hollow (coordinates 56.20, 121.77)

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Waypoint 1 – Merope 5 C (coordinates -26.34, -156.40)

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Waypoing 2 – Betelgeuse 2 (coordinates 69.68, 72.91)

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Waypoint 3 – Trapezium Sector DQ-X C1-9 12 A (coordinates 14.0 , 143.6)

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Waypoint 4 (cancelled) – 2Mass J06410581+0952478 1 A (coordinates 42.0, 174.1)

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"Winter is coming," presumably.

Waypoint 5 – ALS 299 6 D (coordinates -35.54, 161.37)

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Waypoint 6 – Seagull Sector MX-U C2-3 9 A (coordinates 0.35, 133.74)

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Waypoint 7 – Rosette Sector HW-W C1-3 A 2 C (coordinates 45.66, 174.21)

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Waypoint 8 – Jellyfish Sector DL-Y D50 7 B (coordinates 73.67, 26.25)

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CNE Photo Competition submission, featuring the Jellyfish Nebula, the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Rosette Nebula, the galactic plane, and of course my ship, The Ronin – "Celestial Dreams" – non-edited category.

Waypoint 9 – Monkey Head Sector KC-V C2-3 1 (coordinates -18.00, 47.06)

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Waypoint 10 – Crab Sector IH-V C2-3 A 11 A (coordinates -28.99, -36.00)

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CNE fleet before jumping to the Crab Pulsar

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...

Successfully found a route through the Crab Nebula Labyrinth and discovered definitively that a minimum jump range of 23.88LY is required to reach the Crab Nebula and Pulsar. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/271103-Navigating-the-Crab-Nebula-Labyrinth

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Heading toward the Crab Nebula

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Minimum jump range required (as pictured heading back out)

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[Trinity Star]

'Star of Elindel'

CLASS: Anaconda
DEFENSE: 5A Shield Generator, 2 x 3E Gimballed Pulse Lasers, Chaff Launcher
POWER: 5A Power Plant
PROPULSION: 5D Thrusters
FSD: A6 Frameshift Drive (35.42LY Jump Range Full Tank)

OTHER EQUIPMENT:
Advanced Discovery Scanner
Detailed Surface Scanner
8D Sensors
7B Fuel Scoop
7 x Heat Sink Launchers,
3 x 5A Field Maintenance Units
2 x 4A Field Maintenance Units
128t Cargo Capacity

DECOR: Standard Paintjob straight from the shipyard, Elite Decals

The 'Star' is one of two Anaconda class ships owned and operated by Victoria Greenwood. Unlike her sister ship, the occasional trader and battleconda 'Ladyhawke', the 'Star' was soley commissioned for the purpose of exploration. The ship is well equipped to deal with the perils of deep space exploration and has succesfully made the trip to Sag A* and the Great Annihilator despite taking damage from a dangerous binary/neutron star system, she has also completed a number of shorter range voyages into the black including VY Canis Majoris.

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

I've been lucky enough to record all the maiden voyages of the 3 ships in my explorers 'life'. So the videos below show their history and achievements first hand.


The Endeavour
Asp Explorer
- (named in honour of Captain James Cook's ship that discovered parts of Australia and New Zealand in the 18th century)

[video=youtube;1j5rBL0mymY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j5rBL0mymY[/video]

The Endeavour was my first exploration starship and her maiden voyage (linked above), was my first ever experience of exploration.

She left Andreas Horizons starport on Oct. 8th 3300 (the day after the Asp Explorer was seeded on the market for the first time).

The Endeavour's voyage was to head out to the beta bubble boundary and just generally explore. Highlight of her maiden voyage was by far the Wunjo 1 Furnace, which is sadly not there any more.

All in all, her maiden voyage was uneventful, except for a battle involving the police and a pirate Asp that occurred just as she was coming into land and conclude her mission.

---

The Shackleton Explorer
Long Range Cobra Mk III (Kickstarter Reward).
- (named after the old Earth arctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton)

[video=youtube_share;9FKv4U1uhZc]https://youtu.be/9FKv4U1uhZc?t=4m53s[/video]

I took command of The Shackleton Explorer on the morning of November 20th 3300 AD (the day Gamma was released).

Her first trip out was a short haul trade mission, which I ran for around two hours - making enough to buy her an Intermediate Discovery Scanner!

New scanner fitted, she set off on her maiden voyage (which the latter part of the above video shows).

This expedition was called 'New Horizons'.

The Shackleton Explorer was to head out across the frontier, proceed to VY Canis Majoris (its first waypoint), then head across the Vela Molecular Ridge to make the first tentative survey of the Eta Carina Nebula.

Along the way she passed through the NGC 3590 Star Cluster, the Statue of Liberty Nebula and the NGC 3293 Cluster, crossed the Carina Badlands, and eventually reached Eta Carina on Dec. 5th 3300.

After a one day survey, Shackleton Explorer crossed the Sagittarius Gap and conducted the first tentative scouting mission of the Sagittarius Arm near rim, following the arm all the way back to the V945 Scorpii Cluster, then on to Shapley 1, before crossing back in to the frontier and home to Aulin on Dec. 7th 3300. A round trip of 29,000 LYS - a mammoth undertaking back then considering there were no route planners (route plotting was done manually, one star at a time!) and hostile NPCs appeared in almost every system no matter the distance from Sol (Shackleton Explorer got ambushed by 3 NPCs in an asteroid belt deep in the Eta Carina Nebula and had to make a quick escape while trying to shoot some video for the series!).

That trusty old Cobra made it back with a 50 % cracked canopy and hull damage and was retired at Aulin Enterprise, where she's been berthed ever since.

---

Deep Space Surveyor 'Beagle'
Asp Explorer
- (named in honour of HMS Beagle, Darwin's vessel that took him on his voyage of discovery back in the 19th century)

[video=youtube_share;ogXdZ_QWIeE]https://youtu.be/ogXdZ_QWIeE?t=8m5s[/video]

I was given command of the DSS Beagle on Dec. 16th 3300 (Elite Dangerous full release day), just nine days after the conclusion of the New Horizons mission.

This mission was designated 'Distant Suns' and DSS Beagle was to embark on an epic journey to the far side of the galaxy. The mission was two-fold, to test the endurance of an Asp Explorer, and to survey the far galactic rim.

On-route DSS Beagle visited the Lagoon Nebula, NGC 6257, The Grea Phio Stellar Forge, was the second ship in history to visit Sag-A* after Zulu Romeo's Gamma trip, discovered the Bleia Permit region, crossed the Scutum-Centaurus arm, discovered the Preai Permit region, reached the Abyss, and crossed it on 17th Jan. 3301. Finally reaching the far Galactic Rim on Jan. 18th 3301 - the first recorded galactic crossing. News of the crossing reached Galnet 5 days later (once I'd finished editing the series and posted it), and GalNet news ran the story a few days later.

The expedition was fraught with danger and DSS Beagle was badly damaged close to the Abyss when she came out of hyperspace between a red giant binary pair and exited within the outer corona of one of the stars, losing 33% hull in seconds. No heat sinks were fitted to the Beagle prior to her mission as they were buggy at the time an often caused system malfunctions (i.e. disconnections).

More damage was sustained on the return journey when she re-visited SagA* and got a little too close to the event horizon.

Finally, 10 weeks after her departure, DSS Beagle limped into Alten Mines on the far edge of the bubble, with a 95% cracked canopy and only 14% hull remaining.

She remains at Alten Mines to this day, having been decommissioned and retired from service. Transorbital Dynamics, who financed the Distant Suns expedition, have pledged to tow DSS Beagle to the Tionisla Orbital ship museum once it reopens, as that would be a more fitting resting place for the pioneer vessel that went to the edge and back.

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

Kancro, this old thread may interest you...

Add uniqueness and "personality" to ships

Maybe one day FD will see ships as something players build a special affinity to and give us an in-game back history of what certain ships have done in the past. Even a second-hand market!

 

[nr.]

The IEV BananaBoat [1]

Spoiler

The IEV was won in a bet against an unnamed CMDR in a game of Venusian Ultra-Dice. The result was vigorously contested. So much so that the seven-dimensional die needed to be removed under anaesthetic. This left CMDR nr with the ability to whistle the Hutton Orbital Blues whilst drinking a glass of water, a talent which led directly to the winning of another bet which left him strongly advised never to enter Empire space again. It was later determined that substantial maintenance was due on the vessel, a fact that was brought home during a spectacularly failed mis-jump which ended in CMDR nr entering Irkutsk Station backwards while he was taking a shower at the time. Station authorities at first refused to believe the given reason for his being naked as he was extracted from the wreckage. The subsequent rebuild required seventeen months in dry dock, and a further six for the ship.

Possibly the most infamous episode that the IEV was involved in occurred many LYs from currently occupied space. The beautiful star at KN Muscae, had three peaceful earthlikes in orbit. CMDR nr and an accomplice took a trip to satisfy rumours that one of these planets was in fact the legendary Raxxla, and also to test from a safe distance a new range of interstellar quantum effect fireworks due to be marketed. Details are scarce, but several hundred years after the first sighting of the Spiral Interplanetary Nebula, the following clip was located in a sub-ether communications loop:
"5...4...<crackle>...<transmission noise>...Woooooaaah, doood, what happened?"
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off"
"<unidentified>"
"Dood, I may have some bad <transmission noise>"
"...primary objective gone?"
"I've got it on scanner. Plotting vector."
"I really don't like the look of that purple glow coming off the primary star now"
"Oh Belgium dood, massive chromium plated Belgium with knobs on"
"?"
"Finished calculating vector. You're not going to like this."
"Well it can't get any worse, really"
"Primary objective is heading for the Great Annihilator."
"You know what we have to do, right?"
"The first commandment according to The Great Prophet Lemmy?"
"Yup. What happens on tour stays on tour. Maintain radio silence until we reach dock."

Spoiler

Leaving the scene of the alleged incident, with the star of KN Muscae behind.

[1] The result of a highly politically incorrect statement issued by CMDR nr's Uncle Henry when he first saw the colour of the vessel.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

Glad to see this thread is still alive. Love this.

 

[The Natoorat]

Ladies and Gentlemen…
Allow me to present:
Ah… later.

Let’s begin with a bit of a background.
CMDR Federico “The Natoorat” de Soya, known also as the “Father”. He’s an explorer, but not a very good one. Well, that’s not entirely true, he’s good at his profession, it’s just that… he prefers to take his time when he’s “out there”. His motto is “If you have to rush, you’re doing something wrong”. Because of this attitude, the balance on his bank account is not very long, after almost a year of professional flying his net worth is around 85-90 million credits.

Despite his “slow” progression, CMDR de Soya managed to acquire a few ships: A Lakon T6 “The Brick”, a Diamondback Explorer “Hole in the Hull” and an Imperial Courier “Two Lasers One Cannon”. Some time ago he tried to get to Baron rank in the Imperial Navy and get a Clipper, however the “grind” as he called it, was too much for him. In a sign of protest, he bought a Sidewinder, painted it in “Flamy Red” and named it “The Spanish Inquisition”, as nobody expects a Sidewinder at Sagittarius A*, because that’s where he took the ship. He was happily moving forward, but sadly, when he was around 1/5 of the way to his destination, the Emperor got better, said “ah, whatever” and decided to give away the Clippers. CMDR de Soya never travelled faster in his life. He immediately went back, got the Clipper and named it after the Emperor’s response: “The Whatever”.

Recently CMDR de Soya completed a contract for Wee-Scan-U Inc. to gather data about the “bright systems” in NGC 7822 Nebula. Now he scored big time. He got contracted by the Federal Navy to completely chart the human inhabited space, as there are a lot of systems that are not included is t. To perform such a task he needed a ship that would be able to fight back when necessary. This is a new territory for CMDR de Soya… yes, he did complete the basic combat training and even took part in a couple of Resource Site Defence exercises, but he never progressed beyond “Novice” rank. Now he has a chance to catch up.

To be a competitive “Bubble Explorer” he needed a ship that could take down hostiles, scan system bodies in detail, have a great range and be able to transport some goods when trying to gain rank in the Navy. Therefore, he traded the Courier for the Asp Explorer…

Spoiler

Lilarcor +4

Yup… CMDR de Soya always hated this type of ships, but even he can’t argue with the statistics. They speak for themselves:

Spoiler

U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0I Chaff Launcher
U: 0C Shield Booster
S: 1G/G Burst Laser
S: 1G/G Burst Laser
S: 1G/G Burst Laser
S: 1G/G Burst Laser
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon
 
BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 5A Power Plant
TM: 5A Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 4D Life Support
PC: 4A Power Distributor
SS: 5D Sensors
FS: 5C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 32)
 
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
5: 5A Shield Generator
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 8)
3: 3C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 8)
3: 3A Collector Limpet Controller
2: 1C Detailed Surface Scanner
2: 1C Advanced Discovery Scanner
---
Shield: 274.23 MJ
Power : 15.14 MW retracted (74%)
        18.98 MW deployed (93%)
        20.40 MW available
Cargo : 72 T
Fuel  : 40 T
Mass  : 406.1 T empty
        518.1 T full
Range : 27.61 LY unladen
        23.77 LY laden

A vessel like that costs quite a bit of money, but CMDR de Soya got a great deal on it, here’s the story:

The previous owner of the ship (originally named “The Sneaky ”) was some sort of psycho-pirate-smuggler known as “Blue Nose Bob”, who was caught by the Federal Authorities in Foxtrot’s Cantina for taking part in a brawl. It was discovered that he was wanted for murder, piracy, smuggling, dealing in prohibited substance, gross indecency and animal cruelty (involving hamster and duct tape, correlated with gross indecency). The pirate was arrested (now serving a life sentence in a prison colony) and his ship ceased. The “Sneaky ” was put up on sale by the Federal Security, and bought by CMDR de Soya at a very reasonable price.

The Ship was reasonably well maintained; apart from the exterior (the paint, in the places where it didn’t fell off, was mostly composed of rust), everything is fully functional. CMDR de Soya had made some changes to the ship’s set up; he lowered size of the shield and fitted larger cargo rack, traded Interdictor for Collector limpet Controller and one of the cargo racks for additional fuel tank.

The name “Lilarcor +4” represents the fact that based on the statistics, the ship is phenomenal, it does everything very well, but my god… It’s so annoying. Everyone has Asps, they’re everywhere. Pretty much every explorer had an Asp, and that fact alone was driving CMDR de Soya mad. The annoyance with the ship went further, as apparently the Blue Nose Bob owed considerable amount of money to quite a lot of people, and now the ship can’t make even a few thousand ls without being interdicted by some trigger happy scumbag trying to take a shot at the “Lilarcor”. Not to mention some System Authority vessels piloted by not “Mr. Current Affairs”, who need to double check that the ship is no longer owned by a criminal. Eh… life in the bubble…

At the moment CMDR Federico de Soya is gathering data on “red” systems in the Federation space, a little “light trading”, interrupted from time to time by a need to blast good-for-nothing pirates, and occasionally doing some missions for “Feds”, slowly gaining experience needed for gaining ranks in the navy.

Overall, CMDR de Soya is reasonably happy with his purchase, but his plan is to get a different ship when one is available. Maybe Federal Assault Ship? Anyway… he does not plan to leave the “bubble” until Pilots’ Federation releases an upgrade for all ships allowing them landing on planets. After that… going back into “The Back” is the idea.

That’s it. Fly safe Commanders!

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

I've just re-commissioned the 'Damocles' for her second exped. I'll update her details here. This thread needs to be made sticky