Spacecraft Overview

A staple of any space based RPG is spacecraft and their design. As I use GURPS Vehicles Second Edition (henceforth called VE2) and the GURPS Modular Spacecraft Design System, from GURPS Space, in my game, and such volumes may not be available to all the readers of this blog I intend to post some specific craft descriptions that can be used in the game. Before I do that I will give an overview of the kinds of vehicles the PC's are likely to see in the game, starting with those in the Highlands.
Because it is unnecessary for craft which travel the Major Routes to have more expensive and complicated B/G engines which have shunting capability many commercial vehicles are designed without this feature.
One type of such vehicle is the hypertrain. The hypertrain consists an engine module and a number of other modules pulled behind. These can be any of a number of specialized cargo modules or a variety of passenger modules. Hypertrains travel exclusively on Major Routes, between portal gateways.
Hyperlorries are smaller tractor engine units mated to a single standard containerized module used primarily to transport cargoes. If it is fitted with a single combined passenger module it is typically called a hyperbus. Used on Major routes and Blue Highways.
A brake is a relatively small spacecraft, the size of a small RV containing facilities to allow four to six people to travel in minimum comfort for several days to a few weeks. Used on Major Routes and Blue Highways
A hypershuttle is a larger craft capable of extended travel. Unlike the aforementioned vehicles it has a hypershunting B/G engine, which makes it suitable for use on Blue Highways and even off the grid, though most hypershuttle designs lack sophisticated subspace navigation systems and off-grid safety equipment. This makes venturing too far from marked routes hazardous.
A Postal Courier is a light tractor fitted with a hypershunting B/G engine and subspace navigation systems used to transport postal modules. They primarily service the Blue Highways and off-grid routes.
The Hyper Utility Vehicle (HUV) is a hypershunting equipped vehicle primarily used by military, postal, police and government for transport along Major Routes, Blue Highways and off-grid. They are lightly armed and have been manufactured by the millions for a multitude of official uses. Because of this there are also many second hand models in private hands where they fulfill a variety of roles.