Type:

Interorbial personnel transport

Commissioned:

2270 - 2285

Dimensions:

Length:

4.99 m

Beam:

3.2 m

Height:

3.12 m

Decks:

1

Mass:

2,850 kg

Crew:

1 crew, plus up to eight passengers

Armament:

None

Defense Systems:

Standard Monotanium single hull

Warp Speeds:

None - Thrusters only

Strength Indices:

Beam Firepower: 0

(Galaxy Class = 1000)

Torpedo Firepower: 0

Weapon Range & Accuracy: 0

Shield Strength: 0

Hull Armor: 1

Speed: 0.01

Combat Maneuverability: 30000

Overall Strength Index: 31

Diplomatic Capability:

Grade 1

Expected Hull Life:

30 years

Refit Cycle:

Minor: 3 years

Standard: 15 years

Major: None

Added Features:

The travel pod was designed to complement the orbital shuttle produced in the 2270's. Where the orbital shuttle was designed to operate both in space and a planetary atmosphere, the travel pod was confined purely to space. The bulky shape was designed to maximize internal volume, with no attempt to give it any aerodynamic qualities. Even in space, the orbital shuttle was a far more capable design; while designed primarily for inter-orbital trips, the orbital shuttle could cope with short interplanetary trips. But the travel pod was designed to be a purely short range affair, even to the extent that there was no seating provided for the crew or passengers

The travel pod design is simplicity itself; essentially a large box with an entry hatch at the rear, simple flight controls at the forward end and an artificial gravity generator under the floor. There is a large transparent aluminum viewport in the front, and navigation is handled by a simple laser radar unit. Propulsion is provided by microthrusters, with a delta vee of only 10 kms^-1 at the maximum acceleration of 5 ms^-2