Approved Starship Sora-class, Research Shuttle

[Ethanael Halscott]

SORA-CLASS
"RECON BOAT"
FAST RESEARCH SHUTTLE​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create the recon shuttle for the Bercey-class.
• Image Source: Sora AI, ChatGPT
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: Solarium Glasteel
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Primo Victorian Shipwright
• Affiliation: Imperial Commonwealth of Dosuun
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: CRV-RRSV-M02 “Sora” Recon Shuttle
• Production: Limited
• Material: [Upgraded Storm & Extreme Weather Rated]
  
  • Durasteel Reinforced Crystalamnium Hull
  • Reinforced Duraplast with Latticed Crystaplast Liner
  • Alusteel Reinforced Durasteel Hull [Interior]
  • Tunqstoid Blast Doors, Turadium Blast Shields [Interior]
  • Solarium Glasteel Viewports [Overlay]
  • Glasteel Viewports [Underlay], Turadium Blast Shutters
  • Agrinium, Dallorian Alloy [Key Areas/Critical Components]
  • AR-0B Damage Reduction Plating [Key Areas/Critical Components]
  • Doonium Infused Impervium [Munitions Control]
  • Hekakles-type Composite Hull System

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Research Shuttle
• Length: 15m
• Width: 12m
• Height: 7m
• Armament: Low
  
  • 1x Commonwealth Cannon [Forward-fixed, ventral-nose hardpoint]
  • 1x Stingnet Dispersal System [Aft-facing dorsal/ventral dispersal ports near the engine section]
• Defenses: Average
  
  • Compact Deflector Shield (Shuttle Variant)
  • Ion Shield Generator (environmental & avionics protection)
  • Vitralis Reflex Shield Generator (Shuttle Variant)
  • Boudica Kinetic Deflector (localized impact mitigation)
  • Crystallaminium Mesh + Crystaplast Shell (radiant & kinetic dispersion)
  • Hekalēs Composite Hull (structural durability)
  • Ariadne ECM Assistant (signal resilience)
  • Tri-Fold Electromagnetic Barrier System (Navalized Shuttle Variant)
• Squadron Count: None - 1
• Maneuverability Rating: Very High [High w/ SurgePulse]
• Speed Rating: Very High [Extreme w/ SurgePulse]
• Hyperdrive: 2.0

STANDARD FEATURES

• Commonwealth Standard Avionics Suite: Integrated flight control, navigation, and systems management optimized for small craft operating in interference-heavy environments.
• Advanced Environmental Sealing & Pressure Management: Reinforced hull sealing, atmospheric isolation, and adaptive pressure regulation designed to operate across wide temperature, pressure, and chemical ranges.
• Automated Post-Mission Decontamination Systems: External hull purge, intake scrubbers, and sensor mast cleansing routines to prevent hazardous particulate, radiation residue, or biological contamination from being brought aboard the parent vessel.
• Redundant Flight Control Pathways: Multiple independent control routes allowing continued operation under partial avionics or sensor degradation.
• Radiation & Ion Hardening (Standard Commonwealth Spec): Shielded cabling, insulated power routing, and hardened electronics to maintain functionality in ionized atmospheres and radiation-heavy zones.
• Modular Recon Payload Mounts: Small internal and external hardpoints for mission-specific sensor pallets, sampling tools, probe drones, and environmental analysis equipment.
• Emergency Autonomy & Recovery Mode: Limited autonomous flight routines capable of stabilizing the craft, aborting a mission, and executing a pre-approved extraction or return-to-mothership profile if the crew is incapacitated.
• Burst-Transmission Data Handling: Data buffering, compression, and store-and-forward capability to preserve reconnaissance data during communications disruption, enabling later relay to the Bercey-class corvette.
• Bercey-Compatible Docking & Recovery Interfaces: Reinforced docking collar, guidance beacons, and recovery alignment systems designed to facilitate safe retrieval under adverse conditions or partial system damage.
• Commonwealth Safety & Redundancy Standards: Fire suppression, emergency lighting, compartment isolation, and survival provisions consistent with Commonwealth naval auxiliary craft doctrine.
• Atmospheric & Meteorological Sensors
  
  • High-resolution meteorological radar for storm cell mapping, wind shear analysis, pressure gradients, and precipitation modeling
  • Atmospheric composition sensors capable of identifying gas mixtures, particulates, aerosols, and trace contaminants
  • Thermal and radiative sensors for heat flow, temperature layering, and solar interaction analysis
• Surface & Terrain Mapping
  
  • Multi-spectrum terrain scanning combining optical, thermal, and radar-based mapping
  • LIDAR-style active ranging systems for high-precision topographic modeling, even in low-visibility or particulate-heavy conditions
  • Gravimetric and density sensors for detecting subsurface voids, fault lines, or unstable ground formations
• Subsurface & Geological Survey
  
  • Deep ground-penetrating radar for subsurface stratigraphy, void detection, and anomaly identification
  • Seismic and vibrational sensors for monitoring tectonic activity, fault movement, and volcanic instability
  • Thermal subsurface mapping to identify magma flow, geothermal hotspots, or structural weaknesses
• Hydrological & Oceanographic Sensors
  
  • Surface-penetrating radar and sonar-linked probes (where applicable) for ocean depth, current flow, and subsurface thermal gradients
  • Salinity, temperature, and particulate analysis for aquatic environments
  • Wave and storm-surge modeling for coastal hazard assessment

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

• Propulsion & Power: [SV prefix indicates resized for shuttles]
  
  • Howlback-XC Ion Engines [High-thrust vectored ion propulsion]
  • 2x Kestrel Core [Reactor + ElectroFrost regulation system]
  • [SV] Icarus Maneuvering Array [Micro-thrust and counter-gravity agility system]
  • [SV] Crystal-Integrated Harmonic Regulator [Force-resonance and energy destabilization protection]
  • [SV] SurgePulse Accelerator [Burst and Escape mode, for rapid retreat]
  • [SV] Aether-IX Modular Suite [System integration and modulation overlay]
  • [SV] Fries-IV Modular Suite [Thermal regulation and emergency power reroute]
• Internal Defense Management
  
  • Emergency bulkheads and compartment isolation
  • Biometric access controls
  • Limited lockdown routing for crew safety
  • Automated post-mission decontamination protocols prior to hangar reintegration
• Communications
  
  • Compact Dudley Communications Suite (Limited)
    
    • Hyperwave Signal Interceptor / Transceiver
    • Comm-Laser + Encryption Modules
    • Holotransceiver / Emergency Subspace Transmitter
  • Electronic Interference Mast (Recon-Optimized): Used for signal environment analysis and interference characterization, not active jamming.
• Countermeasures
  
  • SIG-220 Tactical Jammer [Broadband Disruption Layer]
• Sensor & Data Systems
  
  • Helion Data Core Matrix (Shuttle Variant):  Centralized data fusion and processing backbone, integrating all sensor inputs and providing real-time environmental modeling and analysis.
  • Neuracrys Gel Interface (Shuttle Variant) – Pattern recognition and data prioritization
  • Resonance Lattice Chip (Shuttle Variant) – Multispectral signal harmonization under interference
  • TCSX Strikeveil Sensor Suite (Shuttle Variant) – Atmospheric, radiation, and environmental threat detection
  • SCX Navicor Sensor Suite (Shuttle Variant) – Terrain-following navigation and landing guidance
  • SPX Aetherveil Sensor Suite (Shuttle Variant) – Passive, low-signature reconnaissance in obscured or high-interference environments
  • Bluford Sensor Suite (Trimmed):
    
    • Passive & Long-range Sensor Arrays (Shuttle Variant)
    • Life Form Indicator, Com-scan, Electro Photo Receptor (Shuttle Variant)
    • Tri-Tracker & Light Detection + Ranging Suite (Shuttle Variant)
• Savić Tracking Sensor Suite
  
  • Imaging System (Shuttle Variant)
  • Combat Multi-view Display (Shuttle Variant)
  • Target-Aggressor Attack Resolution Software (Shuttle Variant)
  • Countermeasures Compensation Computer (Shuttle Variant)

STRENGTHS

• Extreme-environment survivability: built to maintain flight control and sensor function in hazardous atmospheres (storms, ash, radiation, ionization).
• Dual-core power architecture: separates flight-critical power (Deltawake) from mission power (Kestrel), preserving sensor fidelity under stress.
• High-fidelity reconnaissance: Helion + Neuracrys + Resonance Lattice improves interpretation and reduces false positives in distorted environments.
• Excellent control in turbulence: Icarus Maneuvering Array enables stable hover, descent, and recovery under severe shear and instability.
• Doctrine clarity: optimized to deploy, collect, and withdraw—returning to the Bercey for overwatch, relay, repair, and support.

WEAKNESSES

• Not an independent platform: doctrinally dependent on a mothership; limited endurance and support without the Bercey.
• Very low armament: cannot fight its way through sustained opposition; must evade and withdraw rather than engage.
• Average defenses by design: defensive stack prioritizes environmental and interference resilience more than prolonged combat protection.
• Limited comms footprint: relies on mothership relay for extended operations, fleet coordination, and sustained transmission in contested space.

DESCRIPTION
The Sora-class Environmental Recon Shuttle was developed as a dedicated auxiliary craft for science-focused vessels such as the Bercey-class corvette, filling the operational gap between orbital platforms and hostile planetary environments. Where its parent vessel cannot safely descend — due to extreme weather, terrain density, or atmospheric instability — the Sora is deployed instead.

Compact, agile, and ruggedized, the Sora is engineered to survive hurricane-force winds, ionized storm fronts, volcanic ash clouds, and radiation-heavy upper atmospheres. Its defensive systems prioritize environmental resilience over combat durability, and its limited armament exists solely to discourage pursuit long enough to escape. In practice, the Sora functions as a flying sensor platform, sample collector, and rapid insertion craft, capable of delivering personnel or retrieving data from locations deemed too dangerous for conventional shuttles.

The Sora diverges sharply in philosophy: it is not a gunship, nor a frontline combat asset. Instead, it embodies the Commonwealth’s emphasis on precision, adaptability, and survival — a quiet but indispensable tool that ensures its fleet can observe, study, and respond to environments that would otherwise remain inaccessible.

The Sora-class is designed to collect high-fidelity planetary science data across meteorological, geological, atmospheric, and hydrological domains during short, high-risk sorties, deferring long-term analysis and sustained observation to its parent vessel or follow-on survey assets.

 

[MANIAC]

Ethanael Halscott

As usual, very cool sub.

Approved.