Character
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create projectile for an upcoming railgun based ship weapon, but mindful of collateral damage.
- Image Source: Background image with my own work over laid
- Canon Link: none
- Permissions: none
- Primary Source: none
- Manufacturer: Angel Manufactorum
- Affiliation: Brimstone for now, future character pending
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Starburst 750mm EM projectile with range restrictor
- Modularity: 2 nose cap options, range restrictor or dumb dumb cap. Determined prior to loading shell.
- Production: Limited
- Material:
- Non-magnetic metal shell, machined to High specifications
- Magnetic core preferably Tungsten, but any mineable metal of High enough quality could be used.
- Small amount of antimatter
- Containment components
- Classification: Solid core railgun projectile
- Size: large (750mm diameter and 3100mm length)
- Weight: heavy (approx 10'000kg depending on metal used)
- Effective Range: essentially unlimited in a vacuum, range can be deliberately restricted (see special features)
- Damage Output: damage is a a product of the projectile mass and the square of the launch velocity
- The range restricting cap is automatically programmed and added as part of the loading procedure. This is set with a timer that is armed once the projectile leaves the muzzle of the launcher. After a predetermined time, the containment device holding a very small amount of antimatter will deactivate, causing the projectile to explode in a brief burst of hot plasma. The explosive for is negligble compared to the force of the projectile impacting the target so it not a factor in damage output. The charge is calculated to be just enough to annihilate the projectile. The position at the front of the shell means that any resulting debris will be slowed or deflected enough as to pose no significant future risk.
- Can be fired in dumb mode where a solid metal cap is added. These projectiles will simply travel effectively forever until they impact something. This is typically only used for fixed targets or in an emergency.
- Safe to use in populated systems due to self limiting range
- Simple construction of main body allows facilities for production to be set up on any ship large enough to house the launcher itself
- Must be careful machined and balanced as impurities or flaws in projectile can damage or destroy the launcher.
- Restrictor caps require complex and expensive containment devices and also a method of antimatter production.
These projectiles were designed after an accident on battle destroyed a civilian settlement. The projectile was fired from a friendly ship at the edge of the system, 2 months later in a billion to one chance, a projectile was detected minutes before it smashed into the planet causing significant loss of life.
To prevent this happening again to themselves or any other distant planet, the starburst was developed. Named after the beautiful burst of white hot plasma that appears on detonation. The timer is programmed immediately prior to loading and can be set based on engagement ranges. If the enemy is 50km away, then the projectiles can be set to explode after they have travelled 60km, leaving a tightly controlled threat zone.
The shells can be manufacturered on board from materials mined on asteroids, useful metals ate extracted and refined to a high purity before being used. The whole shell is encased in non-magnetics and then machined to within micrometer tolerances leaving them looking like bright shining bullet shapes.
