Enoki
SOC-14 1K
This uses the designs from CT Supplement 7. Eventually I'll have drawings available too.
In this variant an semi-automated self-propelled mining robot that is the size and shape of a standard shipping container is used. Each one will hold about 3 tons of ore with the remaining .81 tons being a propulsion unit and control system.
These are released by the mining ship(s) near the asteroid to be mined. They are piloted in part by an operator on the ship and bore into and lock onto the asteroid they will mine. The end of the container opens and mining equipment in the container then begins to bore into the asteroid. A grav field in at the back of the container (where the propulsion and guidance are also contained) draws the mined material in.
When filled it returns to the ship for pick up.
The ships used.
The first is a Type S scout conversion. Rather than the Seeker shown in the supplement, this type is normally stripped of its jump drive (unnecessary as it will be working in-system for its service life normally), the rear two cabins / staterooms are removed, and the common area pushed forward and slightly reduced in size. The air raft bay, rear compartment and new space between the remaining engine room and common area are converted to space for 7 mining units / shipping containers. These are launched from the rear of the ship one at a time and recovered and moved on a track assembly built into the deck. When all 7 are stored a space is left between two for access to the engine room.
The crew is normally a pilot, engineer, and mining specialist who controls the mining robot units.
This is used because it is small enough and nimble enough to move in the asteroid belt safely. Even if an accident were to occur the loss or damage would be limited in terms of cost to the company.
The second ship is a Standardized 400 ton Subsidized Merchant. The only change in design is on the passenger deck where the cabins aft of the amidships bulkhead are removed and replaced by a combination of repair shop for the mining container robots, an analysis lab, and a galley.
The launch is retained for use by the lab crew and engineers to get ore samples and such to determine what and where mining will occur and to service the mining robot units.
The crew consists of a bridge crew of 2 or 3, 3 or 4 technicians / scientists / engineers, 2 or 3 stewards and relief crews for the mining scout ships.
The galley serves to make meals for not just the crew but also for the scout ship crews delivered using the launch or when the scout comes to drop off mining units.
The mining crews on the scouts are rotated weekly or on a regular schedule and 2 or 3 operate with the 400t ship. They have a total of 40 and 80 mining robots in operation or loaded between them (totaling 120 to 240 tons of ore).
Loading the merchant takes about a week. It then moves to a much larger ore processing ship (not described here) or to a planetary facility where it unloads and picks up empty mining robot containers for a return to the asteroid belt.
The scouts stay on station coming in to their base only for regular maintenance. Crews rotate as described in between. Fueling the scouts is done from the merchant when the scout comes to deliver its cargo.
A larger container ship may be used instead of the 400 ton merchant. The reason it was selected is it is common and used ones can be gotten at reasonable prices.
If the jump function is unnecessary it can be removed along with the fuel processors to increase the cargo capacity further.
Each scout conversion would normally have 7 mining robots out mining and be hauling 7 more to replace them when the first 7 are full. Filling one takes anywhere from half a day to two days depending on ore being mined, how far the unit has to travel to get from the ship to the target asteroid, etc.
In this variant an semi-automated self-propelled mining robot that is the size and shape of a standard shipping container is used. Each one will hold about 3 tons of ore with the remaining .81 tons being a propulsion unit and control system.
These are released by the mining ship(s) near the asteroid to be mined. They are piloted in part by an operator on the ship and bore into and lock onto the asteroid they will mine. The end of the container opens and mining equipment in the container then begins to bore into the asteroid. A grav field in at the back of the container (where the propulsion and guidance are also contained) draws the mined material in.
When filled it returns to the ship for pick up.
The ships used.
The first is a Type S scout conversion. Rather than the Seeker shown in the supplement, this type is normally stripped of its jump drive (unnecessary as it will be working in-system for its service life normally), the rear two cabins / staterooms are removed, and the common area pushed forward and slightly reduced in size. The air raft bay, rear compartment and new space between the remaining engine room and common area are converted to space for 7 mining units / shipping containers. These are launched from the rear of the ship one at a time and recovered and moved on a track assembly built into the deck. When all 7 are stored a space is left between two for access to the engine room.
The crew is normally a pilot, engineer, and mining specialist who controls the mining robot units.
This is used because it is small enough and nimble enough to move in the asteroid belt safely. Even if an accident were to occur the loss or damage would be limited in terms of cost to the company.
The second ship is a Standardized 400 ton Subsidized Merchant. The only change in design is on the passenger deck where the cabins aft of the amidships bulkhead are removed and replaced by a combination of repair shop for the mining container robots, an analysis lab, and a galley.
The launch is retained for use by the lab crew and engineers to get ore samples and such to determine what and where mining will occur and to service the mining robot units.
The crew consists of a bridge crew of 2 or 3, 3 or 4 technicians / scientists / engineers, 2 or 3 stewards and relief crews for the mining scout ships.
The galley serves to make meals for not just the crew but also for the scout ship crews delivered using the launch or when the scout comes to drop off mining units.
The mining crews on the scouts are rotated weekly or on a regular schedule and 2 or 3 operate with the 400t ship. They have a total of 40 and 80 mining robots in operation or loaded between them (totaling 120 to 240 tons of ore).
Loading the merchant takes about a week. It then moves to a much larger ore processing ship (not described here) or to a planetary facility where it unloads and picks up empty mining robot containers for a return to the asteroid belt.
The scouts stay on station coming in to their base only for regular maintenance. Crews rotate as described in between. Fueling the scouts is done from the merchant when the scout comes to deliver its cargo.
A larger container ship may be used instead of the 400 ton merchant. The reason it was selected is it is common and used ones can be gotten at reasonable prices.
If the jump function is unnecessary it can be removed along with the fuel processors to increase the cargo capacity further.
Each scout conversion would normally have 7 mining robots out mining and be hauling 7 more to replace them when the first 7 are full. Filling one takes anywhere from half a day to two days depending on ore being mined, how far the unit has to travel to get from the ship to the target asteroid, etc.
