Station Hyperspace Cannon

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HYPERSPACE CANNON

AFFILIATION
Free use.

MANUFACTURER
Various.

CLASS
Space station.

ROLE
Interstellar transit infrastructure.

COMPOSITION
Steel and glass.

DIMENSIONS
Height - ~800 meters.

CREW
~10-40.

PASSENGER CAPACITY
~200.

CARGO CAPACITY
~1 megaton.

HANGAR CAPACITY

• ~2x shuttle/light freighter.

CONSUMABLES
1 standard year.

SPEED/MANEUVERABILITY
Stationary.

ARMAMENT
N/A.

EQUIPMENT

• 10x docking ring with integrated docking tube and refueling probe.
• 1x medium detention block.
• 1x medium medcenter.
• 1x aerospace control center.
• 1x long-range communication suite.
• 1x long-range sensor suite.
• Many x escape pod.

DESCRIPTION​

Hyperspace cannons are an archaic form of faster-than-light travel technology, predating the hyperdrive in most civilizations which have developed hyperspace technology independently. Integrated into large space stations, these "cannons" accelerate any ship which passes through their barrel into hyperspace without the need for an onboard hyperdrive. After traveling through hyperspace for a given amount of time, a ship would deploy drag elements to revert itself to realspace, hopefully having arrived at its destination. Hyperspace cannons were the backbone of interstellar travel and commerce from prehistory until the early years of the Old Republic itself.

The main issue with the hyperspace cannon was the fixed nature of the course it imparted on ships it fired into hyperspace. Without a hyperdrive of their own, typical cannon-launched ships were unable to reenter hyperspace on their own after decelerating back to realspace. This meant that they could effectively only travel in a straight line to their destination, unable to revert and course-adjust like modern ships. This, in turn, means that such ships have no ability to avoid various hyperspace hazards, which combined with other factors to make early hyperspace travel a dangerous and unpredictable affair.

Notably, ships which could travel via hyperspace cannon are limited by the dimensions of the cannon's barrel. Typically, a hyperspace cannon cannot accommodate any ship larger than frigate scale.

Despite their shortcomings, hyperspace cannons allowed the formation of some of the first interstellar states, as well as much more rapid commerce and settlement compared to the old generation and sleeper ships. Although not every settled planet had a cannon, a vast network of stations served much of the Core in the pre-Republic era, facilitating real-time trade and immigration.

In the present day, hyperspace cannons are all but extinct. A few examples are to be found in the old Core Worlds, although they are often in poor shape; functional or even just partially intact examples are of extreme archaeological interest.

LEGALITY​

Legal. Hyperspace cannons are fairly basic structures, and carry few legal restrictions.

INTENT​

To bring an item of technology from Legends canon into our site's fanon.