Mars Bound

Mars Bound

The Astro Engineering Consortium FLR100 (“Floor-Cent”) Interplanetary Liner, introduced in 2148, was the most common interplanetary craft of the 22nd century, with over 1200 variants produced in the later half of the century. Many vessels continued to see service well into the 2240s.

Designed for simplicity, the FLR100 produced artificial gravity by rotating its entire hull along its long axis at 2.5 rpm, providing .34g at the edge of its 100 meter diameter passenger wheel. Utilizing a single MSMH-fueled fusion reactor-drive system, the FLR100 could accelerate at .05g with a standard 12,000 mt fuel load and a gross tonnage of 46,000 mt. Reaching full cruising velocity after two days of acceleration, the FLR100 could cross 1AU in just under three weeks.

Depending on orbital dynamics, the liner required a transit time of two to seven weeks for the Mars run. It was able to reach Jupiter orbit in about four months, and was occasionally used for voyages deeper into the outer system.

The FLR100 was rated and lifeboat-equipped for up 400 passengers and crew and could carry 200 TEUs of cargo. With immigrants to Mars and the Asteroids numbering in the hundred per day by the mid 22nd century, daily Floor-Cent departures and arrivals were common at major space ports.