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(Mandalay)
Collecting Resources at the Galactic Core: Is a Beluga a capable Mining Vessel
I own my Beluga Liner since more than two years. Initially I used it successfully for bulk passenger transports and tourist missions in different layouts. On the one hand I stuffed as much economy passenger cabins as possible inside to transport as many people as possible. On the other hand, I as well used it in a layout with Luxury Cabins to transport VIPs on tourist missions, soon finding out the use of first class cabins made more sense due to the fact, there were more missions at stations available. I did a lot of transport missions in Caleta and Shasir, which made me a fortune.
The following link provides an image of my Beluga Liner, called Ahab's Desire https://imgur.com/uEbJpqx
Later, I also used the Beluga for rescue missions to get people out of burning stations, which were attacked by Thargoids before. Unless the Beluga is a very spacious ship, the rescue missions went very fine, even though I was told an Anaconda fits more economy cabins and therefore were the better option for rescue missions.
So far, everyone would consider these uses of the Beluga as mandatory.
Then, one day, I had the idea of using the Beluga for some exploration as well. I guess, most pilots would say, this ship might be everything else than an exploration vessel due to its limits in jump range, mainly. There are plenty of aspects of the Beluga’s configuration limiting its potential jump range: first, the ship has a high hull mass, added to the insane mass of a class eight life support system, which is the only matching life support module to be used with this ship. Then again, the FSD slot is not allowing the highest classes of FSD drives.
But then again: Exploration does not necessarily need maximum jump ranges due to the fact of millions of unexplored star systems within the Elite Galaxy. So I tried to find out about the capabilities of a Beluga as an exploration ship.
The Beluga on an exploration tour: https://imgur.com/aOQCTgR
First, I stripped out all not really needed modules including the heavy shield generator, using class D components wherever possible. The FSD, on the other hand, was the highest class and A rated to be purchased. The engineer Martuk provided me with a grade 1 FSD upgrade for maxed jump range and so I got my first version of an exploration ship with the Beluga. I do not want to forget the SRV bay I put into that early version of the Beluga; despite of all attempts of mass reduce I did not like to do exploration without a single SRV at least.
After a lot of engineering I finally got a Beluga I used for trips through a lot of parts of the ED-Galaxy: I visited the Zurara Megaship at the Formidine Rift, explored the Dynasty locations at the Hawking’s Gap, visited some systems of the inner spiral arm , systems I once investigated using an DBX or ASPX or took it to Sagittarius A at the galaxy’s core on the Distant Worlds Expedition 3305.
Beluga Liner short off the EZ of SagA https://imgur.com/M3qKnpW
So far, after Explorer’s Anchorage was constructed, not finished but at stage two and three of its building phase, I wished to take part in the project to gather even more resources at the core systems, to reach the final building phase of Explorer’s Anchorage as well as the installation of a Megaship at the center of the galaxy.
The image under the following link shows construction phase one of Explorer's Anchorage: The only parts being present at this stage were te Ocellus Sphere with the docking bays and the massive FSD drives being attached to it, still: https://imgur.com/LiHjHkU
I took part in the gathering of resources for the construction of this station at the galaxy’s core – the farthest station of mankind so far. Several weeks ago I used my usual mining ship, a Python named ‘Der Pott’ for the mining of the resources needed for the initial delivery phase of an Ocellus Sphere; this was the CG of DW2 at waypoint 2: Omega Mining.
But now, there is no dock yard to be found at Explorer’s Anchorage, yet. And even if so, transferring of equipment or ships to Explorer’s Anchorage would take 72 hours, three full days, and probably would cost a fortune; the mining mission would be half finished by that time, even if the final tier wouldn’t be finished before schedule.
Explorer's Anchorage with the first parts of its habitat ring as it looked three days ago: https://imgur.com/5biSStu
To take part in the mining CG at Explorer’s Anchorage means, to use the stations outfitting and morph the Beluga into a mining ship. So I do have two aims doing that: First I wish to take part in the CG, helping to colonize the core region. Then, as well, I wish to find out, if the Beluga could be used as a capable Miner, which should not be that hard since a lot the restrictions of the optional bays were taken away with the last update of chapter 4, now allowing the use of multiple cargo modules at the size 5 and size 6 bays, which originally were restricted to the use of passenger cabins.
7th MAR 3305 – Circumnavigation around the Core of the Milky Way
I decided to circumnavigate the Center of the galaxy. While doing so, I – as well – landed on a moon, second of six around a class III giant.
I do like this moon, a small rocky world with a radius of 570km and a duration of 3.5 days for one tidally locked revolution around the gas giant.
There were some more systems with a multitude of interesting bodies I did travel to during my round trip around the central region of the Milky Way, which I did not totally finish during this flight but later during the coming days and weeks.
Anyway, this time I finished most of the round trip and the following links provide impressions and information of some of the systems I passed through.
- Life Can Be Found Everywhere
- Life Can Be Found Everywhere 2
- Life Can Be Found Everywhere 3
- Circumnavigation 1
- Circumnavigation 2
- Circumnavigation 3
- Circumnavigation 4
- Circumnavigation 5
- Circumnavigation 6
- Circumnavigation 7
- Waterworlds Inside Dense Starfields
- Waterworlds Inside Dense Starfields 2
- Earthlike Worlds
- A Moon Crater
- A Moon Crater 2
- A Moon Crater 3
- A Moon Crater 4
- A Moon Crater 5
- Ringed Waterworlds close to the Galactic Center
- Circumnavigation 8
- Some More 'Kevin Costner Worlds close to the Center
- Ammonia Atmospheres 2
- Ammonia Atmospheres 2
These are a few of the worlds I travelled during this trip.
After a detour of exploring I went back towards the recent waypoint(s) of the Distant Worlds Expedition 3305.
At the very moment I saty at waypoint 7, the new spaceport named Explorer's Anchorage. My first arrival and successful touch down took place at 05:27hrs of 28th FEB 3305 and I could convince myself about the result of the mining efforts back at Omega Mining: The material collection at Omega Mining resulted in this station close to the Milky Way's centre, which is known as Sagittarius A, the super massive Black Hole inside our Galaxy's core.
Earlyer on, I arrived at the supermassive Black Hole (28th FEB 3305 - 04:55hrs).
Some images of the famous Sagittarius A:
The following link provides a good impression of the strong lensing effect the supermassive Black Hole is causing:
The Galaxy Map is showing the constellation of Sagittarius A and the system with the young station, Explorer's Anchorage:
The system, in which Explorer's Anchorage is located, is a binary star system:
Explorer's Anchorage at the moment is placed less than 4 ly away from Sagittarius A and at an early stage of its construction.
https://imgur.com/5e20l11 (early phase of construction)
PREAE AEWSY QO-Z D13-170 07th FEB 3305 (01:32am)
This planet is covered with a thin layer of grey-brown dust. Astonishingly, only a few centimeters underneath this dark surface the soil is pink in color, which appears, when the SRV's weehls scratch the dust off the surface.
It seems like the surface material is transfomed by yet unknown processes, possibly oxidation but maybe something else.
The following link shows an image of my landing site: https://imgur.com/h4VRYB9
This body is classified as a Metallic Rocky World.
Distant Worlds Expedition (DW2): Conflux Abandond Settlements - Waypoint 3.
Returning from Hawkings Gap Region I headed towards the Distant World's Expedition Waypoint number 3.
Staying over night, I was able to get a beautiful view of the area the next morning, when the site got some light from its close star, a Brown Dwarf.
Planet QEAJO BE-F B39-0 1 (Hawking's Gap) 31st JAN 3305
A rocky World close to its star, which is a yellow orange star, bathing the daytime side of its first planet into orange light. Surface temperature might be high, so molten rock can be found in plenty of locations.
Twice, I landed on this planet at different locations; the second touch down was done at a geologigal site.
I found this interesting planet on my way back from the Dynasty Mission camp sites, where I did visit Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma- and Delta-Camps in their different systems:
- PLAA AEC IZ-N C20-1 (moon A1A) for Alpha
- PLAA AEC XZ-Z B41-0 (planet 1, an icy world) for Beta
- PLAA AEC TTB B41-3A (planet B2) for Gamma
- PLAA AEC RY-B B41-1 (planet 2B) for Delta
A beautiful scrrenshot of this orange bathed world can be seen using the following link: [(https://imgur.com/bgeWPl7)]
Starting from the Eagle Nebula (Inner Orion Spur) I wanted to meet with my fellow commanders Sandmaster and Skywayter at the Dynasty Mission target systems in the middle of the Hawkings Gap (Region).
After approaching PLAA AEC RY-B B41-1 2 B - the moon, where the Dynasty Mission Team constructed Delta Camp - and dropping out from gliding through orbital cruise, I got a clear view of the area: Dynasty Delta Camp is located inside a canyon and I was presented with a beautiful, interesting view of the whole area on the day side of this moon. Both, Sky and Sand, already placed their two Condas close to the camp, which I easily could see on the radar image produced by the related small holopgram at the bottom of my vessel's Heads Up Display (HUD).
We met at Delta Camp on 29th JAN 3305 (approx 18:53hrs).
Sky and Sand usually do travel much faster with their Condas then I do with the Beluga. When I joined them at Delta Camp, both already had investigated the three other camp sites.
All four Camp Sites can be found using the following GalMap-References:
- PLAA AEC IZ-N C20-1 (moon A1A) for Alpha
- PLAA AEC XZ-Z B41-0 (planet 1, an icy world) for Beta
- PLAA AEC TTB B41-3A (planet B2) for Gamma
- PLAA AEC RY-B B41-1 (planet 2B) for Delta
So soon they started leaving; I decided to stay longer and check out the place before investigating the other three Dynasty Camps I did not know, then.
Very close to Delta Camp a surface signal source can be found, which is caused by a geological site (Geological Site #8): Turned out it is a Lava Field. From my landing area at Delta Camp I drove the SRV through the canyon in which Delta Camp was erected to investigate the geological site. This ride took just a few minutes each way - there and back.
26.01.3305 – 17:53 Following my exploration route towards the Bubble Nebula, I discovered one Earthlike ( PHOI AM JL-P D-5-14 4) - https://imgur.com/6ziJsIE - and one Ammonia World (HYPIAE AIM CR-U B58-0 2) plus a few Waterworlds. As well, I did land on an icy planet called SYREASIAE JS-W C40 1 A. This is an icy world of a mostly white surface with the typical high albedo, where there are engraved valleys filled with bright orange-pink ice. These valleys are spread over the whole small planet surface. Re-entering Elysian Shore from the Formidine Rift took place via a route through Syreadia VB-G B17-0.
At 22:58 the Bubble Nebula, which seems like an enormous soap bubble, came into sight very clearly from some hundreds of light-years away: from the system HEGODIA QD-K DB-79. Before I reached this system it appeared like a small speck. See the close-up of the structure (from outside): https://imgur.com/LKMrJhf
While approaching the Bubble Nebula it constantly grew until I finally jumped right into it dropping of at BUBBLE SECTOR GW-W C1-B (23:15):
Finally, at 27th JAn 3305 - 02:43, I touched down at Medusa’s Rock Mining Outpost (CRECENT SECTOR GW-W C1-B), a place inside a reddish nebula I already visited twice before.
Medusa's Rock is an Astroid Base' located at the orbit around an earth-like world; correctly it should be called 'Moon Base' due to the fact, the rock in the orbit containing the station is a small moon to the world it is hovering above.
Here I finished this part of my journey before heading back towards the Eagle Nebula at the Inner Orion Spur Region the following day.
I took off my night place, PHOI AESCS WN-x 28-0 1, at 14:30 heading towards The Zurara. I had to do 44 more jumps all together with some exploration (scanning and probing) of Formidine Rift locations.
16:18 I arrived at The Zurara, scanned all seven beacons and inspected the entire place (of course including the mandatory screenshots). I left The Zurara at 17:08, heading back through The Formidine Rift towards the Alysian Shore: My next main waypoint was the Bubble Nebula located at the BUBBLE Sector PD-S B4-4.
Some impressions from the Zurara Mega Ship:
26.01.3305 – 02:39 While Skywayter visited The Zurara, I landed the Beluga on the surface of PHOI AESCS WN-x 28-0 1, a relatively small body with some bizarre mountains. I left the ship here over night.