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Unlike most fuels, water does not have a single specific impulse. Its performance depends entirely on the engine and heat source being used. The rise of Laser Highway propulsion has dramatically increased the value of water-rich locations throughout cislunar space and the asteroid belt.
Unlike most fuels, water does not have a single specific impulse. Its performance depends entirely on the engine and heat source being used. The rise of Laser Highway propulsion has dramatically increased the value of water-rich locations throughout cislunar space and the asteroid belt.


= Travel Costs =
= Travel Costs =


Travel within the Solar System is generally priced in stages rather than by distance. Reaching orbit is the most expensive part of most journeys, after which passengers transfer between orbital vehicles or Deep Space Vehicles (DSVs) as needed.
Travel within the Solar System is usually priced in stages. A passenger leaving Earth buys a launch ticket to orbit, then separate passage aboard an orbital vehicle or Deep Space Vehicle. This is why large stations such as [[Goddard Transfer Station]] matter so much: they are not just destinations, but transfer points.


The fares below represent typical second-class civilian prices. Corporate contracts, government travel, military transport and emergency passage often use different pricing.
The fares below are typical civilian prices. Corporate contracts, government travel, military transport, cargo charters and emergency passage use their own arrangements.


== Earth Launch ==
== Earth to Low Earth Orbit ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Route
! Route
! Typical Second Class Fare
! Regular Fare
! Typical First Class Fare
! Priority Fare
|-
| [[Greater Quito Spaceport]] → [[Goddard Transfer Station]]
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
|-
| Earth Surface → Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
| Earth surface spaceport → Low Earth Orbit
| Cr5,000
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
| Cr10,000
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Launch prices include atmospheric ascent aboard a reusable launch vehicle or spaceplane, transfer to the destination orbital facility, and standard baggage allowance.
Launch prices include atmospheric ascent aboard a reusable launch vehicle or spaceplane, transfer to the destination orbital facility, and standard baggage allowance.
== Cislunar Passenger Fares ==
Cislunar travel is priced more like regional transport than interplanetary passage. Most passengers travel by chemical orbital vehicle, with fares based on the standard local-transfer rate.
{| class="wikitable"
! Route
! Regular Fare
! Priority Fare
|-
| Goddard Transfer Station → L1
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| Goddard Transfer Station → L3, L4 or L5
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| Goddard Transfer Station → Lunar Orbit
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| L1 → Luna
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| L1 → L4 or L5
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| Luna → L4 or L5
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| Luna → L2
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|-
| Luna → L3
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
|}
These fares cover normal scheduled passage. Faster service, private cabins, medical supervision, cargo accompaniment, security escorts and off-schedule departures cost more.
== Common Earth-Origin Trips ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Trip
! Regular Total
! Priority Total
! Notes
|-
| Greater Quito → Goddard Transfer Station
| Cr5,000
| Cr10,000
| Earth launch only
|-
| Greater Quito → L1
| Cr10,000
| Cr20,000
| Launch plus cislunar transfer
|-
| Greater Quito → Luna
| Cr10,000
| Cr20,000
| Launch plus transfer to lunar orbit or surface connection
|-
| Greater Quito → L5
| Cr10,000
| Cr20,000
| Launch plus transfer from Goddard
|}


== Interplanetary Passenger Fares ==
== Interplanetary Passenger Fares ==
Interplanetary fares are calculated separately from Earth launch or cislunar transfer costs. These prices cover passage aboard a Deep Space Vehicle.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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|}
|}


''Example:'' A second-class passenger traveling from Mercury to Mars crosses the orbits of Venus, Earth and Mars, for a total fare of '''Cr40,000'''.
''Example:'' A second-class passenger traveling from Mercury to Mars crosses the orbits of Venus, Earth and Mars, for a total fare of '''Cr40,000''' before any local launch or transfer costs are added.


Fast Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) vessels with Drive Rating 3 or higher typically charge an additional '''10% × Drive Rating''' premium.
Fast Nuclear Thermal Rocket vessels with Drive Rating 3 or higher charge an additional '''10% × Drive Rating''' premium.


== Cargo Rates ==
== Cargo Rates ==
Line 176: Line 254:
|}
|}


Fast NTR freighters (Drive Rating 3+) generally charge an additional '''10% × Drive Rating''' premium.
Fast NTR freighters with Drive Rating 3 or higher generally charge an additional '''10% × Drive Rating''' premium.


== Moon and Local Transfers ==
== Moon and Local Transfers ==


Passenger and freight movement within a single planetary system is considerably less expensive.
Passenger and freight movement within a single planetary system uses the local-transfer rate. In most cases this is half the normal base interplanetary fare. DSVs rarely handle this work unless they are already traveling the route for other reasons.
 
As a general rule:
 
* Base fares are reduced by '''50%'''.
* No premium is charged for faster vessels.
* Most transfers are handled by chemical orbital vehicles rather than Deep Space Vehicles.


Examples include:
Typical local transfers include Earth orbit to Luna, Luna to L4/L5, Mars orbit to Phobos or Deimos, and Jovian moon-to-moon service.
 
* Earth Orbit ↔ Luna
* Luna ↔ L4/L5
* Mars Orbit ↔ Phobos
* Jovian moon-to-moon transfers


== Typical Operating Costs ==
== Typical Operating Costs ==
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! Typical Cost
! Typical Cost
|-
|-
| Liquid Hydrogen Fuel
| Liquid hydrogen fuel
| Cr500 per ton
| Cr500 per ton
|-
|-
| Water Reaction Mass
| Water reaction mass
| Cr100 per ton
| Cr100 per ton
|-
|-
| Berthing Fees
| Berthing fees
| Cr1,000 per week
| Cr1,000 per week
|-
|-
| Life Support
| Life support
| Cr100 per person per week
| Cr100 per person per week
|}
|}


=== Typical Monthly Crew Salaries ===
== Typical Monthly Crew Salaries ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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|}
|}


== Notes ==
<br>
 
[
* Passenger fares assume scheduled commercial service.
* Charter flights, emergency evacuations and rescue missions are negotiated separately.
* Earth launch remains one of the most expensive individual segments of any journey, despite two centuries of improvements in reusable launch technology.
* Most routine travelers purchase separate launch and passage tickets. For example, a traveler flying from Earth to Luna typically purchases an Earth-to-LEO launch, followed by orbital passage to the Moon.
 
 
[[Main Page|Back to Main Page]]
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[[Category:Core Reference]]
[[Category:Core Reference]]
[[Category:Player Resources]]
[[Category:Player Resources]]

Revision as of 05:12, 30 June 2026

Fuel and Energy Sources for Spacecraft


Drive Type Typical Isp (s) Fuel Category Cost Infrastructure Dependence Typical Role
Methalox Chemical 350-380 A Low Low General-purpose launches and orbital transfers
Hydrolox Chemical 430-460 B Medium Low High-performance launches, landers, and transfer craft
AluLOX Chemical 300-350 C Low (Luna) Low Lunar shuttles and surface operations
HELL-V 800-1200 B Medium Very High Surface-to-orbit launch
Nuclear Thermal Rocket (Hydrogen) 850-950 B High Low Deep-space exploration and fast transport
Nuclear Thermal Rocket (Ammonia) 350-450 D Medium Low Cargo transport and bulk freight
Laser Thermal 1000-3000 B, C, D Low fuel cost High Laser Highway traffic
Laser Sail — None Very Low fuel cost Very High Bulk cargo and long-duration transport



Fuel Station Codes

Code Service
A Methalox available
B Hydrolox available
C AluLOX available
D Ammonia available
E Laser Highway beam services available
F Water available in commercial quantities

For ease, fuel costs relative to Mongoose are one jump = 1 burn; same 500/ton as a base cost.

Water and Space Travel

Water is one of the most important commodities in the Solar System. It can be used directly as reaction mass in some propulsion systems, converted into hydrogen and oxygen for conventional rocket fuels, or employed for life support and radiation shielding.

Unlike most fuels, water does not have a single specific impulse. Its performance depends entirely on the engine and heat source being used. The rise of Laser Highway propulsion has dramatically increased the value of water-rich locations throughout cislunar space and the asteroid belt.

Travel Costs

Travel within the Solar System is usually priced in stages. A passenger leaving Earth buys a launch ticket to orbit, then separate passage aboard an orbital vehicle or Deep Space Vehicle. This is why large stations such as Goddard Transfer Station matter so much: they are not just destinations, but transfer points.

The fares below are typical civilian prices. Corporate contracts, government travel, military transport, cargo charters and emergency passage use their own arrangements.

Earth to Low Earth Orbit

Route Regular Fare Priority Fare
Greater Quito Spaceport → Goddard Transfer Station Cr5,000 Cr10,000
Earth surface spaceport → Low Earth Orbit Cr5,000 Cr10,000

Launch prices include atmospheric ascent aboard a reusable launch vehicle or spaceplane, transfer to the destination orbital facility, and standard baggage allowance.

Cislunar Passenger Fares

Cislunar travel is priced more like regional transport than interplanetary passage. Most passengers travel by chemical orbital vehicle, with fares based on the standard local-transfer rate.

Route Regular Fare Priority Fare
Goddard Transfer Station → L1 Cr5,000 Cr10,000
Goddard Transfer Station → L3, L4 or L5 Cr5,000 Cr10,000
Goddard Transfer Station → Lunar Orbit Cr5,000 Cr10,000
L1 → Luna Cr5,000 Cr10,000
L1 → L4 or L5 Cr5,000 Cr10,000
Luna → L4 or L5 Cr5,000 Cr10,000
Luna → L2 Cr5,000 Cr10,000
Luna → L3 Cr5,000 Cr10,000

These fares cover normal scheduled passage. Faster service, private cabins, medical supervision, cargo accompaniment, security escorts and off-schedule departures cost more.

Common Earth-Origin Trips

Trip Regular Total Priority Total Notes
Greater Quito → Goddard Transfer Station Cr5,000 Cr10,000 Earth launch only
Greater Quito → L1 Cr10,000 Cr20,000 Launch plus cislunar transfer
Greater Quito → Luna Cr10,000 Cr20,000 Launch plus transfer to lunar orbit or surface connection
Greater Quito → L5 Cr10,000 Cr20,000 Launch plus transfer from Goddard

Interplanetary Passenger Fares

Interplanetary fares are calculated separately from Earth launch or cislunar transfer costs. These prices cover passage aboard a Deep Space Vehicle.

Ticket Type Base Fare Per Inner Planet Orbit Crossed Per Outer Planet Orbit Crossed
Second Class Cr10,000 +Cr10,000 +Cr80,000
First Class Cr20,000 +Cr20,000 +Cr100,000

Example: A second-class passenger traveling from Mercury to Mars crosses the orbits of Venus, Earth and Mars, for a total fare of Cr40,000 before any local launch or transfer costs are added.

Fast Nuclear Thermal Rocket vessels with Drive Rating 3 or higher charge an additional 10% × Drive Rating premium.

Cargo Rates

Cargo Base Cost Per Inner Planet Orbit Crossed Per Outer Planet Orbit Crossed
Standard Freight Cr2,000 per ton +Cr2,000 per ton +Cr15,000 per ton

Fast NTR freighters with Drive Rating 3 or higher generally charge an additional 10% × Drive Rating premium.

Moon and Local Transfers

Passenger and freight movement within a single planetary system uses the local-transfer rate. In most cases this is half the normal base interplanetary fare. DSVs rarely handle this work unless they are already traveling the route for other reasons.

Typical local transfers include Earth orbit to Luna, Luna to L4/L5, Mars orbit to Phobos or Deimos, and Jovian moon-to-moon service.

Typical Operating Costs

Expense Typical Cost
Liquid hydrogen fuel Cr500 per ton
Water reaction mass Cr100 per ton
Berthing fees Cr1,000 per week
Life support Cr100 per person per week

Typical Monthly Crew Salaries

Position Monthly Salary
Commander Cr10,000
Executive Officer Cr6,000
Senior Mission Specialist Cr5,000
Mission Specialist Cr4,000
Payload Specialist Cr3,000


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