So, You Wanna be a Space-Trucker?
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Figure 1.2 – Reconstruction of the Space-Truckers transmission. Probably intended as a “day in the life” image
Being a Space-Trucker isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it for the lonely of mind. There are hazards and dangers to be found in spades – but there’s also the allure of fortune and fame. Ever since legendary Space-Trucker Winchell Chung’s (call sign: Rocket Cat) famous “Grand Tour,” every kid across the system has grown up aspiring to emulate him. After using the last of his reaction mass to deliver his cargo, he saved millions of starving children suffering after the Great Space-Potato Famine. Sadly, that selfless act left his Space-Rig adrift with no way home. Chung’s Space-Truck was lost as it drifted off into the Darkness Beyond the Sun. His last transmission, garbled as it was, contained a single recoverable fragment of text:
“The cold, hard equations care not for starvation or famine. <indecipherable>…[b]ecause we’re Space-Truckers. It’s what we do.”
Space-Trucker Chung is a sterling example of what it means to be a Space-Trucker, but in all fairness, there’s a dark side to the business. What isn’t publicized is the high rate of turnover among Space-Truckers. Some go mad from the experience of being alone among the stars, while others simply refuse to go back out after their run. Others depart from one place never to arrive at their intended destination.
Figure 1.3 – Space-Trucking is dangerous business
Sure, computers can help, and other technologies also contribute to help make Space-Trucking safe and dependable. However, no amount of hardware or software compares to the wetware of the human mind when it comes to dealing with unanticipated situations, and that’s why Space-Truckers need to be behind the wheel of their Space-Rigs.
Before any space wheels can hit the space pavement, our driver needs to know where to go. Space-Dispatch is here to help with Route Planning services, and with their detailed orbital and launch simulation, different potential routes to the cargo’s destination can be evaluated and tried without risk to the Space-Trucker.
Figure 1.4 – Planning a route involves timing the launch as well as properly aiming it. The left-side bar controls the launch impulse – higher is faster
Despite the risks, the potential rewards are quite high. Completing a Space-Haul has a variable payout for the Space-Trucker, with space-bucks being awarded or demerited based on the driver’s performance in the field. Factors from the simulated route include the total transit time, how much fuel (launch force) is consumed, and the total distance traveled.
Figure 1.5 – Space-Trucking pays well when things go well
Many different obstacles can be encountered, and no two routes are the same, but the scoring factors ensure that when it comes to comparing runs, the High Scores board is the ultimate arbiter of the G.O.A.T Space-Truckers.
Note
G.O.A.T. is not referring to any animal in this context. The Greatest of All Time Space-Truckers are a select and elite group – show proper respect!
Timing is of the essence in Space-Trucking, but so is safety. By being mindful of the latter in service of the former, the Space-Trucker stands the best chance of completing their Space-Haul and getting the opportunity to spend their payday on the Space-Beach.
Never forget, Space-Trucker – the cold, hard equations of planetary motion have no concern for whether you’ve got enough air to breathe or heat to stay warm. Keep your slide rule handy in case of instrument failure and go forth to find your fortune slinging cargo!
Figure 1.6 – Recovered image of a “Space-Trucker” and their “Space-Rig.” The Space-Trucker is the small figure in the foreground
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The life of a Space-Trucker certainly must be full of glamorous riches and perilous travels for those folks to send a recruitment leaflet all that distance! Stepping back to the real world is hard, but it’s important that we break down the various elements of how Space-Truckers is designed and put together. Ideally, as you progress through this book, you’ll have this foundation to help you stay grounded with where everything goes and fits together.