Spacecraft Spotlight #4: The Vojagi Commuter

A Vojagi in commercial livery.

        Sorry this is late, RocketFans; I hope you enjoy!
        
Imperial Japanese Aerospace Lines Vojagi 


INTRODUCTION
        With the success of the Vojagi Orbiter among the  private elite of the Siberian Empire, Imperial RKK Energya decided to release a commercial version for general use.  The Vojagi Commuter can be seen in aerospaceports around Terra and in orbit, ferrying passengers to and from the Empire's holdings.

CHANGES FROM THE ORIGINAL

          The main differences between a Vojagi Commuter and its luxury sister ships are the accommodations and number of passengers. The Passenger Deck on the Commuter is the location of the First Class compartment.  While fairly comfortable as far as public transportation goes, there are no private cabins or lounges.  Passengers sit in two rings facing the outer wall of the Vojagi's dorsal hull, opposite the spacecraft's viewports.  There is a basic galley as well, and a variable gravity lavatory.

First (above) and Standard Class

         The Standard Class passengers occupy two decks built into what would normally be the Vojagi's Cargo Bay.  The access tube to these decks is not offset as it normally is in the Vojagi's luxury variant; the extra space to the dorsal side of the tube holds the galley and lavatory facilities on these decks.  Accommodations are more cramped on these decks as well, and passengers here do not have windows.

LIFE ON BOARD
           Comfort, even for those in First Class, is simply not a priority.  Rockets of any kind are expensive to fly and maintain, therefore the largest number of passengers must be carried to offset costs.  That being said, the physics of high acceleration require a minimum of size and padding, so the seats on a Commuter are decent if not extraordinary.  Flights typically only last a couple hours for inter-continental flights and it takes at most a day to match orbits with most space stations in Low Earth Orbit, so any discomforts are short lived. 

FOR THE GM

         The Vojagi Commuters are a simple way for starting PCs to move about Terra and her orbits if they do not possess their own ship.  Their large passenger capacities and global itineraries allow GMs to introduce virtually any NPC their campaigns require.


ADVENTURE IDEAS

         Being the twenty-third century equivalent of a 747, the Vojagi Commuter can be used an any adventure that uses commercial aircraft with a little modification.  These include classics such as crash landings and hijackings, but can also include more creative ideas, such as medical emergencies, military attack, and any of the complications that can strike a craft in the vacuum in space.

Craft: Imperial RKK Energya Vojagi 2 Commuter

Type: Light Passenger Orbiter

Length: 22.5 meters

Skill: Spacecraft Operation: Vojagi Orbiter

Crew: 2 (NuApes)

Passengers: 20 first class; 52 standard, 72 total

Cargo Capacity: 5 metric tons

Safety Threshold: 5

Consumables: 110 crew days

Fusion Power? No

Acceleration: 1g

Delta V: 25

Hull Strength: 2D

Damage Range: 6

Avionics: +1D