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Conquering Physics by Sylwia_Wright

© Sylwia_Wright, all rights reserved.

Conquering Physics

Let’s go CrossFit Open 24.3! by Sylwia_Wright

© Sylwia_Wright, all rights reserved.

Let’s go CrossFit Open 24.3!

Distant Signal by Duncan Rawlinson - Duncan.co

Available under a Creative Commons by-nc license

Distant Signal

Amidst the whispering woods of Exoplanet XR-527b, 'Distant Signal' stands as a testament to the symbiotic dance between technology and nature, marking a path for adventurers drawn to the mysteries of the cosmos.

Duncan.co/distant-signal/(opens in a new tab)

Colonization of the Moon...Proposed concepts of Earth-Moon transportation are Space elevators.Peak of Eternal Light..Moon dust is an extremely abrasive glassy substance formed by micrometeorites by bernawy hugues kossi huo

© bernawy hugues kossi huo, all rights reserved.

Colonization of the Moon...Proposed concepts of Earth-Moon transportation are Space elevators.Peak of Eternal Light..Moon dust is an extremely abrasive glassy substance formed by micrometeorites

2018 artist concept of a lunar colony
Colonization of the Moon is the proposed establishment of a permanent human community or robotic industries on the Moon.Concept art from NASA showing astronauts entering a lunar outpost

Discovery of lunar water at the lunar poles by Chandrayaan-1 has renewed interest in the Moon. Locating such a colony at one of the lunar poles would also avoid the problem of long lunar nights – about 354 hours long, a little more than two weeks – and allow the colony to take advantage of the continuous sunlight there for generating solar power.

Permanent human habitation on a planetary body other than the Earth is one of science fiction's most prevalent themes. As technology has advanced, and concerns about the future of humanity on Earth have increased, the argument that space colonization as an achievable and worthwhile goal has gained momentum. Because of its proximity to Earth, the Moon is seen as the best and most obvious location for the first permanent off-planet colony. Currently, the main problem hindering the development of such a colony is the high cost of spaceflight.

There are also a number of projects that have been proposed for the near future by space tourism startup companies for tourism on the Moon.

The notion of a lunar colony originated before the Space Age. In 1638 Bishop John Wilkins wrote A Discourse Concerning a New World and Another Planet, in which he predicted a human colony on the Moon.Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857–1935), among others, also suggested such a step.[8] From the 1950s onwards, a number of concepts and designs have been suggested by scientists, engineers and others.

In 1954, science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke proposed a lunar base of inflatable modules covered in lunar dust for insulation. A spaceship, assembled in low Earth orbit, would launch to the Moon, and astronauts would set up the igloo-like modules and an inflatable radio mast. Subsequent steps would include the establishment of a larger, permanent dome; an algae-based air purifier; a nuclear reactor for the provision of power; and electromagnetic cannons to launch cargo and fuel to interplanetary vessels in space.

In 1959, John S. Rinehart suggested that the safest design would be a structure that could "[float] in a stationary ocean of dust", since there were, at the time this concept was outlined, theories that there could be mile-deep dust oceans on the Moon.[ The proposed design consisted of a half-cylinder with half-domes at both ends, with a micrometeoroid shield placed above the base.

Project Horizon
Project Horizon was a 1959 study regarding the United States Army's plan to establish a fort on the Moon by 1967. Heinz-Hermann Koelle, a German rocket engineer of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) led the Project Horizon study. It was proposed that the first landing would be carried out by two "soldier-astronauts" in 1965 and that more construction workers would soon follow. It was posited that through numerous launches (61 Saturn Is and 88 Saturn C-2s), 245 tons of cargo could be transported to the outpost by 1966.

Lunex Project
Main article: Lunex Project
Lunex Project was a US Air Force plan for a manned lunar landing prior to the Apollo Program in 1961. It envisaged a 21-airman underground Air Force base on the Moon by 1968 at a total cost of $7.5 billion.

Sub-surface base
In 1962, John DeNike and Stanley Zahn published their idea of a sub-surface base located at the Sea of Tranquility.[9] This base would house a crew of 21, in modules placed four meters below the surface, which was believed to provide radiation shielding on par with Earth's atmosphere. DeNike and Zahn favored nuclear reactors for energy production, because they were more efficient than solar panels, and would also overcome the problems with the long lunar nights. For the life support system, an algae-based gas exchanger was proposed.

Recent proposals
In 2007 Jim Burke of the International Space University in France said people should plan to preserve humanity's culture in the event of a civilization-stopping asteroid impact with Earth. A Lunar Noah's Ark was proposed. Subsequent planning may be taken up by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG).

In 2016 Johann-Dietrich Wörner, the Chief of ESA, proposed the International Moon Village as a non-governmental organization (NGO), and in November 2017 the Moon Village Association was created. This organization aims to promote international discussions to foster the implementation of a permanent human settlement near the lunar south pole.
Exploration through 2017
Main articles: Exploration of the Moon and List of missions to the Moon
Exploration of the lunar surface by spacecraft began in 1959 with the Soviet Union's Luna program. Luna 1 missed the Moon, but Luna 2 made a hard landing (impact) into its surface, and became the first artificial object on an extraterrestrial body. The same year, the Luna 3 mission radioed photographs to Earth of the Moon's hitherto unseen far side, marking the beginning of a decade-long series of robotic lunar explorations.

Responding to the Soviet program of space exploration, US President John F. Kennedy in 1961 told the US Congress on May 25: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." The same year the Soviet leadership made some of its first public pronouncements about landing a man on the Moon and establishing a lunar base.

Crewed exploration of the lunar surface began in 1968 when the Apollo 8 spacecraft orbited the Moon with three astronauts on board. This was mankind's first direct view of the far side. The following year, the Apollo 11 Apollo Lunar Module landed two astronauts on the Moon, proving the ability of humans to travel to the Moon, perform scientific research work there, and bring back sample materials.

Additional missions to the Moon continued this exploration phase. In 1969 the Apollo 12 mission landed next to the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, demonstrating precision landing capability. The use of a manned vehicle on the Moon's surface was demonstrated in 1971 with the Lunar Rover during Apollo 15. Apollo 16 made the first landing within the rugged lunar highlands. However, interest in further exploration of the Moon was beginning to wane among the American public. In 1972 Apollo 17 was the final Apollo lunar mission, and further planned missions were scrapped at the directive of President Nixon. Instead, focus was turned to the Space Shuttle and crewed missions in near Earth orbit.

In addition to its scientific returns, the Apollo program also provided valuable lessons about living and working in the lunar environment.

The Soviet manned lunar programs failed to send a manned mission to the Moon. However, in 1966 Luna 9 was the first probe to achieve a soft landing and return close-up shots of the lunar surface. Luna 16 in 1970 returned the first Soviet lunar soil samples, while in 1970 and 1973 during the Lunokhod program two robotic rovers landed on the Moon. Lunokhod 1 explored the lunar surface for 322 days, and Lunokhod 2 operated on the Moon about four months only but covered a third more distance. 1974 saw the end of the Soviet Moonshot, two years after the last American manned landing. Besides the manned landings, an abandoned Soviet moon program included building the moonbase "Zvezda", which was the first detailed project with developed mockups of expedition vehicles and surface modules.

In the decades following, interest in exploring the Moon faded considerably, and only a few dedicated enthusiasts supported a return. However, evidence of lunar ice at the poles gathered by NASA's Clementine (1994) and Lunar Prospector (1998) missions rekindled some discussion, as did the potential growth of a Chinese space program that contemplated its own mission to the Moon. Subsequent research suggested that there was far less ice present (if any) than had originally been thought, but that there may still be some usable deposits of hydrogen in other forms.However, in September 2009, the Chandrayaan probe of India, carrying an ISRO instrument, discovered that the lunar soil contains 0.1% water by weight, overturning hypotheses that had stood for 40 years.

In 2004, US President George W. Bush called for a plan to return crewed missions to the Moon by 2020 (since cancelled – see Constellation program). On June 18, 2009 NASA’s LCROSS/LRO mission to the moon was launched. The LCROSS mission was designed to acquire research information to assist with future lunar exploratory missions, and was scheduled to conclude with a controlled collision of the craft on the lunar surface.LCROSS's mission concluded as scheduled with its controlled impact on October 9, 2009.

In 2010, due to reduced congressional NASA appropriations, President Barack Obama halted the Bush administration's earlier lunar exploration initiative, and directed a generic focus on crewed missions to asteroids and Mars, as well as extending support for the International Space Station.
As of 2016, Russia is planning to begin building a human colony on the moon by 2030. Initially, the Moon base would be crewed by no more than 4 people, with their number later rising to maximum of 12 people. Japan also has plans to land a man on the moon by 2030,while the People's Republic of China is currently planning to land a human on the Moon by 2036 (see Chinese Lunar Exploration Program).

The United States currently (2017) has plans to send a crewed space mission to orbit (but not to land on) the Moon in 2021. While the US Trump administration has called for a return of crewed missions to the Moon, it has currently (2018) not authorized any funding for any such lunar missions in the next 20 years, the current administration has focused funding on Mars missions. What President Trump requests is the development of a lunar orbiting station called Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. A stated goal of aerospace company SpaceX is to enable the creation of a colony on the Moon using its upcoming BFR launch system. Billionaire Jeff Bezos has outlined his plans for a lunar base in the next decade.
Advantages and disadvantages

Placing a colony on a natural body would provide an ample source of material for construction and other uses in space, including shielding from cosmic radiation. The energy required to send objects from the Moon to space is much less than from Earth to space. This could allow the Moon to serve as a source of construction materials within cis-lunar space. Rockets launched from the Moon would require less locally produced propellant than rockets launched from Earth. Some proposals include using electric acceleration devices (mass drivers) to propel objects off the Moon without building rockets. Others have proposed momentum exchange tethers (see below). Furthermore, the Moon does have some gravity, which experience to date indicates may be vital for fetal development and long-term human health.[Whether the Moon's gravity (roughly one sixth of Earth's) is adequate for this purpose, however, is uncertain.

In addition, the Moon is the closest large body in the Solar System to Earth. While some Earth-crosser asteroids occasionally pass closer, the Moon's distance is consistently within a small range close to 384,400 km. This proximity has several advantages:

A lunar base could be a site for launching rockets with locally manufactured fuel to distant planets such as Mars. Launching rockets from the Moon would be easier than from Earth because the Moon's gravity is lower, requiring a lower escape velocity. A lower escape velocity would require less propellant, but there is no guarantee that less propellant would cost less money than that required to launch from Earth. Asteroid mining, however, may prove useful in lowering various costs accrued during the construction and management of a lunar base and its activities.
The energy required to send objects from Earth to the Moon is lower than for most other bodies.
Transit time is short. The Apollo astronauts made the trip in three days and future technologies could improve on this time.
The short transit time would also allow emergency supplies to quickly reach a Moon colony from Earth, or allow a human crew to evacuate relatively quickly from the Moon to Earth in case of emergency. This could be an important consideration when establishing the first human colony.
If the Moon were colonized then it could be tested if humans can survive in low gravity. Those results could be utilized for a viable Mars colony as well.
The round trip communication delay to Earth is less than three seconds, allowing near-normal voice and video conversation, and allowing some kinds of remote control of machines from Earth that are not possible for any other celestial body. The delay for other Solar System bodies is minutes or hours; for example, round trip communication time between Earth and Mars ranges from about eight to forty minutes. This, again, could be particularly valuable in an early colony, where life-threatening problems requiring Earth's assistance could occur.
On the lunar near side, the Earth appears large and is always visible as an object 60 times brighter than the Moon appears from Earth, unlike more distant locations where the Earth would be seen merely as a star-like object, much as the planets appear from Earth. As a result, a lunar colony might feel less remote to humans living there.
Building observatory facilities on the Moon from lunar materials allows many of the benefits of space based facilities without the need to launch these into space. The lunar soil, although it poses a problem for any moving parts of telescopes, can be mixed with carbon nanotubes and epoxies in the construction of mirrors up to 50 meters in diameter. It is relatively nearby; astronomical seeing is not a concern; certain craters near the poles are permanently dark and cold, and thus especially useful for infrared telescopes; and radio telescopes on the far side would be shielded from the radio chatter of Earth. A lunar zenith telescope can be made cheaply with ionic liquid.
A farm at the lunar north pole could provide eight hours of sunlight per day during the local summer by rotating crops in and out of the sunlight which is continuous for the entire summer. A beneficial temperature, radiation protection, insects for pollination, and all other plant needs could be artificially provided during the local summer for a cost. One estimate suggested a 0.5 hectare space farm could feed 100 people.
There are several disadvantages to the Moon as a colony site:

The long lunar night would impede reliance on solar power and require that a colony exposed to the sunlit equatorial surface be designed to withstand large temperature extremes (about 95 K (−178.2 °C) to about 400 K (127 °C)). An exception to this restriction are the so-called "peaks of eternal light" located at the lunar north pole that are constantly bathed in sunlight. The rim of Shackleton Crater, towards the lunar south pole, also has a near-constant solar illumination. Other areas near the poles that get light most of the time could be linked in a power grid. The temperature 1 meter below the surface of the Moon is estimated to be near constant over the period of a month varying with latitude from near 220 K (−53 °C) at the equator to near 150 K (−123 °C) at the poles.
The Moon is highly depleted in volatile elements, such as nitrogen and hydrogen. Carbon, which forms volatile oxides, is also depleted. A number of robot probes including Lunar Prospector gathered evidence of hydrogen generally in the Moon's crust consistent with what would be expected from solar wind, and higher concentrations near the poles. There had been some disagreement whether the hydrogen must necessarily be in the form of water. The 2009 mission of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) proved that there is water on the Moon.This water exists in ice form perhaps mixed in small crystals in the regolith in a colder landscape than people have ever mined. Other volatiles containing carbon and nitrogen were found in the same cold trap as ice. If no sufficient means is found for recovering these volatiles on the Moon, they would need to be imported from some other source to support life and industrial processes. Volatiles would need to be stringently recycled. This would limit the colony's rate of growth and keep it dependent on imports. The transportation cost of importing volatiles from Earth could be reduced by constructing the upper stage of supply ships using materials high in volatiles, such as carbon fiber and plastics.[citation needed] The 2006 announcement by the Keck Observatory that the binary Trojan asteroid 617 Patroclus, and possibly large numbers of other Trojan objects in Jupiter's orbit, are likely composed of water ice, with a layer of dust, and the hypothesized large amounts of water ice on the closer, main-belt asteroid 1 Ceres, suggest that importing volatiles from this region via the Interplanetary Transport Network may be practical in the not-so-distant future. However, these possibilities are dependent on complicated and expensive resource utilization from the mid to outer Solar System, which is not likely to become available to a Moon colony for a significant period of time.
It is uncertain whether the low (one-sixth g) gravity on the Moon is strong enough to prevent detrimental effects to human health in the long term. Exposure to weightlessness over month-long periods has been demonstrated to cause deterioration of physiological systems, such as loss of bone and muscle mass and a depressed immune system. Similar effects could occur in a low-gravity environment, although virtually all research into the health effects of low gravity has been limited to micro gravity.
The lack of a substantial atmosphere for insulation results in temperature extremes and makes the Moon's surface conditions somewhat like a deep space vacuum.[citation needed] It also leaves the lunar surface exposed to half as much radiation as in interplanetary space (with the other half blocked by the Moon itself underneath the colony), raising the issues of the health threat from cosmic rays and the risk of proton exposure from the solar wind. Lunar rubble can protect living quarters from cosmic rays.Shielding against solar flares during expeditions outside is more problematic.
When the Moon passes through the magnetotail of the Earth, the plasma sheet whips across its surface. Electrons crash into the Moon and are released again by UV photons on the day side but build up voltages on the dark side.[60] This causes a negative charge build up from −200 V to −1000 V. See Magnetic field of the Moon.
The lack of an atmosphere increases the chances of the colony's being hit by meteors. Even small pebbles and dust (micrometeoroids) have the potential to damage or destroy insufficiently protected structures.
Moon dust is an extremely abrasive glassy substance formed by micrometeorites and unrounded due to the lack of weathering. It sticks to everything, can damage equipment, and it may be toxic. Since it is bombarded by charged particles in the solar wind, it is highly ionized, and is extremely harmful when breathed in. During the 1960s and 70s Apollo missions, astronauts were subject to respiratory problems on return flights from the Moon, for this reason.
Growing crops on the Moon faces many difficult challenges due to the long lunar night (354 hours), extreme variation in surface temperature, exposure to solar flares, nitrogen-poor soil, and lack of insects for pollination. Due to the lack of any atmosphere on the Moon, plants would need to be grown in sealed chambers, though experiments have shown that plants can thrive at pressures much lower than those on Earth. The use of electric lighting to compensate for the 354-hour night might be difficult: a single acre of plants on Earth enjoys a peak 4 megawatts of sunlight power at noon. Experiments conducted by the Soviet space program in the 1970s suggest it is possible to grow conventional crops with the 354-hour light, 354-hour dark cycle. A variety of concepts for lunar agriculture have been proposed, including the use of minimal artificial light to maintain plants during the night and the use of fast-growing crops that might be started as seedlings with artificial light and be harvestable at the end of one lunar day.
One of the less obvious difficulties lies not with the Moon itself but rather with the political and national interests of the nations engaged in colonization. Assuming that colonization efforts were able to overcome the difficulties outlined above – there would likely be issues regarding the rights of nations and their colonies to exploit resources on the lunar surface, to stake territorial claims and other issues of sovereignty which would have to be agreed upon before one or more nations established a permanent presence on the Moon. The ongoing negotiations and debate regarding the Antarctic is a good case study for prospective lunar colonization efforts in that it highlights the numerous pitfalls of developing/inhabiting a location that is subject to the claims of multiple sovereign nations.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_the_Moon

Azure Velocity X-23 by -soccerkid6

© -soccerkid6, all rights reserved.

Azure Velocity X-23

The second in my pair of racing Vic Vipers for Novvember. Mostly a recolor though some smaller details also changed.

Couple extra photos on Brickbuilt.

Tutorials | Creations | Featured Tutorials | Build Logs

RX403464 by Gosport Flyer

© Gosport Flyer, all rights reserved.

RX403464

MV Jenny R provides a 'Waterbus' service for visitors between the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard sites.

Pictured here soon after leaving the RN Submarine Museum in Gosport. In the background is RFA Proteus (K60) departing Portsmouth Naval Base after its maiden visit to the Hampshire Port,

dscn111-8410 by Mark Eichin

© Mark Eichin, all rights reserved.

dscn111-8410

(I was sort of going for a "faces in things" shot but it has altogether too many windows/"eyes" :-)

dscn111-8405 by Mark Eichin

© Mark Eichin, all rights reserved.

dscn111-8405

I've seen all of the videos about heating up the tiles with a torch, and that they're individually cut & serial numbered. But having the serial numbers *right there* is something else entirely.

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta - Viper Shot by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta - Viper Shot

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!

RX408103 by Gosport Flyer

© Gosport Flyer, all rights reserved.

RX408103

HMS Protector (A173) is a Royal Navy ice patrol ship built in Norway in mid 2000.

As MV Polarbjørn (Norwegian: polar bear) she operated under charter as a polar research icebreaker and a subsea support vessel. In 2011, she was chartered as a temporary replacement for the ice patrol ship HMS Endurance and was purchased by the British Ministry of Defence in early September 2013.

Detail of the ships stern

Pictured here departing Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire UK

Alphaseed book 48 054 by alphaseedfloatingstates

© alphaseedfloatingstates, all rights reserved.

Alphaseed book 48 054

Blacktron Manta by Harding Co.

© Harding Co., all rights reserved.

Blacktron Manta

Far more deadly than its namesake, the Manta is a fast, powerful and highly-maneuverable fighter craft that forms the backbone of the Blacktron fleet. This ship is built around a tough, solid core that provides optimum pilot protection, and power comes from the same units found in the Fantail escape craft; however, they are tuned slightly differently to provide better efficiency and comfort for regular flight, rather than the urgency of fleeing a battle ASAP.
Offensive capabilites are provided by a battery of laser cannon: two fixed guns in front of the cockpit, and two rotating guns mounted at the wings. These rotating units can be programmed to lock on to targets, which is especially useful in intense battle situations.
You don't want to get caught by this ray's sting!