Landings

[jason taylor]

Not much is said about the mechanics of landing ships. Some do seem to use runways. Grav plates could probably substitute for most types of landing gear.

Water Landings are not mentioned much. But there is something to be said for that, which is that they have the same advantage they always have had. There is no need to clear space on land and there usually is water wherever there is a commercial node. Even the desert has water, and of course, cities would grow up around water sources even more there.

Furthermore water allows off-world traffic to converge with maritime or riverine and conveniently dip into the planet's resources.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Water Landings are not mentioned much. But there is something to be said for that, which is that they have the same advantage they always have had.

There are advantages, but there are a couple of clear disadvantages too. One is that to be stable in water the ship has to fall in a fairly narrow density band, the one in which it floats with its center of gravity in the right region relative to its center of buoyancy, and it needs to stay in that range (and symmetrically loaded about it too) regardless of how much fuel or cargo it takes on. The other is that water is a much, much better heat conductor than air, and freezes at a much higher temperature too, which is an issue when half your hull is full of a cryogenic fluid.

[Fred Brackin]

Water is also corrosive and salt water even more so. Yet the locals also sometimes get upset if you pollute it.

Loading any waterbourne vehicle is also never as simple as driving the forklift up you cargo ramp.

Nope, I want something hard and flat and not overly blessed with local lifeforms.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Water is also corrosive and salt water even more so. Yet the locals also sometimes get upset if you pollute it.

Loading any waterbourne vehicle is also never as simple as driving the forklift up you cargo ramp.

Nope, I want something hard and flat and not overly blessed with local lifeforms.

Wouldn't most starports be near trade nubs anyway and likely maritime traffic which is just as pollutant?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Wouldn't most starports be near trade nubs anyway and likely maritime traffic which is just as pollutant?

Why would maritime traffic play an unaltered role in a contragravity using civilization? The slow speed and constrained travel paths exact unavoidable opportunity costs. Shipping from another star system could be faster than sea travel from across a major ocean. Time is money.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Why would maritime traffic play an unaltered role in a contragravity using civilization? The slow speed and constrained travel paths exact unavoidable opportunity costs. Shipping from another star system could be faster than sea travel from across a major ocean. Time is money.

Depends on how much offworld traffic is in the area. Also depends on what can be gotten from the ocean.

In any case the reason people visit planets is that there is something worth getting. Either it will be in another part of the planet besides the starport or another part of someone else's planet besides the starport. Now it could be that it is preferable to ship in non-starships flying orbitally rather than Sea Level vehicles. The difference is without distinction as one way or another you have lots of big hulky vehicles and a starship won't add to the crowd.