[Space/Spaceships] Getting the velocity/Delta V I want with the tech I want

[scc]

Well, Ulzgoroth, given that the ships I've designed need no fuel.

That said, I do have shipping costs now. The price to ship one ton 136 AU is $13,000 while the shipper is still in hock to the banker and $2,500 when the banker's of his back. Orbit and back comes to $10,000. Note that these are cost to shipper values for the most part, the second 136 AU might actually come close to what people pay

[scc]

I've been playing around the numbers some more, and have some updated figures. Mainly by noticing a way to game the system, it's not much, but it helps. Won't stand up in reality, but for a game it's good enough (Cramming 10 fuel tanks into the space of 9 is a physical impossibility)

At worst the fuel to ship a ton into orbit is ~$4,700 per ton, or $2.12 per pound.

Shipping between the two stars cost the company less then $7,000 per ton, or $3.09 while the ships in hock to the bank, or ~$1,100 per ton or $0.51 when the interests paid off.

So it should cost NO MORE then $15 to ship a pound of something between the two stars, at maximum.

For reference I looked up the Australia Post costs to ship stuff, the lowest rate to the US for 500 grams (about a pound) is $10.50, and that's by sea, air freight seems to run to about twice that

[ericbsmith]

Originally Posted by scc

So it should cost NO MORE then $15 to ship a pound of something between the two stars, at maximum.

For reference I looked up the Australia Post costs to ship stuff, the lowest rate to the US for 500 grams (about a pound) is $10.50, and that's by sea, air freight seems to run to about twice that

Note that the $10.50 cost you site is for door to door delivery (or at least Post Office to door), while the $15 cost is for Port to Port delivery, and does not take into account docking fees, loading fees, unloading fees, taxes, tariff, or actual delivery from door to port then from port to door. Nor do you seem to take into account crew costs.

[scc]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Sounds like you're adding in the wrong place. For multi-star systems, you need to sum L/R^2 for all stars before taking the 4th root.

I just want to check that I've implemented this right

Sum the L/R^2 values for the stars other the planets primary, take the quad root and multiply by 278, then add that to the heating value from the primary, or do I sum the L/R^2 for all stars including the primary, take the quad root and multiply by 278?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by scc

I just want to check that I've implemented this right

Sum the L/R^2 values for the stars other the planets primary, take the quad root and multiply by 278, then add that to the heating value from the primary, or do I sum the L/R^2 for all stars including the primary, take the quad root and multiply by 278?

The latter.

[scc]

OK, that' reducing the heating effect of the other stars to pretty much nothing, does that sound right?