Escape Pods

The nature of its missions in the galaxy requires that the Solstice carry a set of small spacecraft for dedicated escape and rescue operations. Located throughout both the Primary and Secondary Hulls, these ejectable lifeboats are designed to meet the short-term survival needs of the starship crew in the event of a catastrophic emergency.

As set down in the original Starfleet specifications, the standardized ASRV, or autonomous survival and recovery vehicle, is capable of the following operations:

* Rapid departure from its parent starship with a minimum velocity of 40 m/s. Independent maneuvering with a total delta-v of 3,600 m/sec.
* Life support for a total of eighty-six person-days.
* Recombination with other lifeboats after ejection to augment survivability.
* Subspace radio signaling for location and recovery.
* Atmosphere entry and landing.

The first group of ASRVs were delivered in 2337 in time to be fitted to the last Renaissance class starship, the USS Hokkaido, and with minimal hardware and software changes were chosen as the lifeboats for the Nova class. Automated facilities on Earth, Mars, Rigel IV, and Starbase 326 produce 85% of the ASRVs, with satellite facilities on Velikan V and Rangifer II acting as industry second-sources for the remaining 15%.

The ASRV measures 3 x 3 x 3 m and its shape is characterized as a truncated cube. The total mass is 1.35 metric tonnes. Its internal spaceframe is a standard beam and stringer arrangement, constructed from gamma-welded tritanium and frumium monocarbonite. The frame is skinned with single- crystal microfilleted tritanium, with umbilical passthroughs, conformal emitters, and sensors doped with hafnium cobarate for passive thermal control during atmosphere entry.

Spacecraft propulsion is achieved through three distinct systems: ejection initiator, main impulse engine, and reaction control system. The ejection initiator is a single-pulse, buffered microfusion device that propels the lifeboat through the launch channel. Power is tapped from the fusion reaction to start the lifeboat's inertial damping field and spin up the gravity generator. Like its larger cousin aboard the Solstice, the IDF protects the crew against acceleration forces. The main impulse engine, a low-power microfusion system for all primary spacecraft maneuvering, is rated at a maximum 950 kg thrust and is fed from a 75 kg deuterium fuel supply. The reaction control system performs all precise attitude and translation motions required for combined operations with other lifeboats and maneuvering during planetary landing.

Life support on the ASRV is maintained by its automatic environmental system, providing complete atmospheric composition, pressure, humidity, and temperature control. Stored food and water supplies as well as a waste management system are included. Lightweight environment suits are stowed with portable survival packs for planetside operation. The normal lifeboat crew capacity is four, with provisions for as many as six if necessary.

One important feature of the ASRV design, the in-line twin hatches, allows it to dock with other lifeboats to form larger clusters. This capability, nicknamed "gaggle mode" by experienced pilots, dramatically increases in-space survival rates by affording access to wounded crew members by medical personnel, combining consumables supplies, and adding propulsion options. Gaggle mode must be terminated prior to atmosphere entry, as the structural loads cannot be handled by the combined craft.

Out of twenty five ejectable lifeboats installed within the Solstice class, five are specialized ASRVs with two additional docking ports to increase the packing density and structural integrity of the gaggle. Computer simulations indicate that at least 25% of any total number of ejected ASRVs are likely to be the four-port version.

Crucial to the successful recovery of the ASRVs are the subspace communications systems and automatic distress beacons.

### Lifeboat Evacuation

If the entire vessel must be evacuated, the Captain will announce: “All Hands — Abandon Ship, To the Life Boats!"

Life Boat Boarding and Launch: Non Command Pilot crewmembers will immediately make for the nearest Life Boat Stations. At each, one or two persons will open the door, open the Life Boat's hatch beyond. and board. After sealing both door and hatch behind them. they will sit and fasten the seat restraints. And state "Code 1” or Code 2". The Life Boat's internal systems will have been armed by the opening of the hatch. At the code command. the selected ejection scenario will commence:

**Auxiliary Craft Warm-up**: As the Life Boats begin leaving the ship in a loose expanding spherical cloud, the Bees start collecting them. Each Bee can link-up to 20 Life Boats. and will tow the finished “Life Boat Train” to the rendezvous point.

**Auxiliary Craft Warm-up**: At the call to Abandon Ship, the on duty Command Pilots will proceed to their auxiliary craft and warm—up the Bees, Travel Pods, Shuttles. and Shuttlecraft. All but one Shuttlecraft will exit the ship and take-up station ten kilometers from the ship. activating their rendezvous transponders. Shuttle One will proceed to the Bridge docking port and pick-up the on-duty Bridge Crew. Shuttle Two will proceed to the Primary hull Airlock and pick-up the on-duty Medical Staff and any Sickbay patients. Both will then proceed to the rendezvous point.

**Evacuation Sweep**: At the call to Abandon Ship. the on- duty Security Section {thirty men in most starships) will divide into their five Squads. Squad 5 will proceed to the Brig and Sickbay. removing all occupants to the awaiting Shuttle Two. Squads 1 through 4 will begin a rapid but thorough Phase 1 Sweep-search ofthe entire ship, removing any personnel they find lo the Flight Deck. Within twenty minutes from the first call to Abandon Ship. They must all have arrived at the Flight Deck.

They and anyone they have found will then board the last Shuttlecraft. Which will have been waiting for them along with Squad 5.

**Thruster Suits**: Any personnel unable to reach a Life Boat or the last Shuttlecraft in time may still exit the ship via an thruster suit. This is a short-duration (6 hours) pressure suit. with a thruster/control unit backpack. The thruster is capable of producing speeds ol 5 meters/second, and can be steered to the rendezvous point.

**Check-Off**: As each Lile Boat Train arrives at the rendezvous point. the Bee Command Pilot will transmit a list of all personnel to Shuttle One. The Command Pilots of all other auxiliary craft do likewise. The Captain will examine the lists. compare them to the ship's muster, and decide if the number of unaccounted-for persons (if any) warrants the further risk inherent in sending a Shuttle back to search.

**Flotilla Disposition**: Once all auxiliary craft and Life Boat Trains have achieved rendezvous, the Captain will decide which option to pursue:

* Send a subspace distress call from the Shuttles‘ low- powered transmitters and await retrieval from a Starfleet or commercial vessel.
* Negotiate with non—Federation vessels for retrieval and delivery to a Federation-member world. This includes most hostile forces. Most enemy ships which destroy a vessel will still rescue an Evacuation Flotilla.
* Land on a nearby Class M world. Bee Thrusters, powered by a Life Boat’s powerpack, are capable of safely lowering a Life Boat through an atmosphere to a landing.