Orbital Dock
Orbital Docks[1] are Imperial Space Stations,[2] that are used by docked spaceships to transport their cargo or passengers to different ships or to a world's surface.[1]
Description
They consist of a central hub, which has several massive arms, ribbed with girders and beams, that spear out around it. These dock arms are spaced apart enough to allow several spaceships to connect to them and become locked into place, via the arms' boarding tubes. The tubes contain handrails down their entire length and are used to transport a spaceship's passengers or cargo into the dock arm and then into the central hub of the Orbital Dock. Once in the central hub, they can be sent to different docked spaceships, or if the Space Station is above a world, then it will contain transports that can take the passengers or cargo to the world's surface. These worlds will also regularly deliver standard maintenance equipment, supplies and fuel to the Orbital Dock in order to keep them functioning.[1] However if the Space Stations are not placed above worlds, such as a section of empty space[2] or being built into orbital Asteroids,[3] then they must rely on spaceships to deliver supplies to them.[2] Crews of Servitors and Imperials wearing helmeted Atmosphere Suits, carry out the Orbital Dock's functions and maintain it as well. They are overseen in their tasks by Workmasters.[1]
Several safety measures have been put into place, should an Orbital Dock suffer any damage. If a boarding tube becomes breached, and its air begins to leak out into space, then the airlock that connects them to their dock arm will slam shut. In order to override this and open the airlock, a security code will need to be entered into the control panel that is next to it. If something happen that threatens the entire Orbital Dock, then its passengers and crew should travel to its central hub. The hub contains wide open spaces[1] and is generally[2] robust enough to survive any impact or damage the Space Station may suffer.[1]
Orbital Docks can also be used as staging posts for the Imperium's fleets or they can also be made to function as Orbital Shipyards as well. However if they are abandoned, then it is possible for Orbital Docks to become havens for Pirates, Heretics, outcasts and smugglers.[2]
Sources
- 1: Tyrant of the Hollow Worlds (Novel), Chapter 4
- 2: Angels of Darkness (Novel), The Tale of Astelan - Part Three
- 3: Iron Hands (Novel), Chapter 10
