Spacedock

Post by **Teaos** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:21 pm

Seems odd. To pull something through warp...

But I guess it is canon.

Wonder if they could pull a station then.

Granitehewer · Post by **Granitehewer** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:54 pm

agreed with teaos,

Post by **Mikey** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:26 pm

The problem I would foresee with towing a station is uneven stresses placed on the hull. Because of the size, there would be zones which aren't directly affected by a tractor beam, as well as zones where more than one beam's area of effect overlap. That would cause some pretty hefty material stress.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:30 pm

Quite true.
Would it be a solution to have several ships towing it, with the beams fixed on various areas, thus distributing the pull?

Post by **Mikey** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:36 pm

I guess, but the closest I ever got to figuring something like that was journal bearings - it would have to be VERY carefully plotted and simulated.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:05 pm

Indeed. Otherwise the station's going to arrive missing part of itself.

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:07 pm

"Well, sir, at least we got the docking ring here intact..."

Post by **Mikey** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:50 pm

Reliant121 · Post by **Reliant121** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:01 pm

Perhaps you can make the station modular, then tractor the individual sections to the destination, and finally bolt them together.

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:03 pm

There we go! A viable plan, indeed.

kostmayer · Post by **kostmayer** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:38 pm

Would make more sense during wartime, when outposts need to be established in dangerous territory. Rather then having to defend a station whilst its being built, you can build it elsewhere and assemble it onsite quickly, leaving it less vulnerable to attack.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:42 pm

Good plan, Reliant.
But I think the question was about whether current Starfleet stations could be towed.

Reliant121 · Post by **Reliant121** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:45 pm

I sincerely doubt it. What with the stress and the manpower, precision tactics and all required to rectify, theres just no point.

kostmayer · Post by **kostmayer** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:07 pm

I dunno, I think Starbase 74 with a couple of 7 kilometre warp nacelles down its long edge would look rather impressive. Huge waste of resources, but they could probably have afforded it if they hadn't gone picking a fight with the Dominion.

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:10 pm

More like: if the Federation hadn't glanced at the Dominion the wrong way.

"Whachoo lookin at? Huh?" Like the beginning of a lot of bar fights...