Worldbuilding Space Lanes for Interstellar Shipping | IndServ
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Shipping and transit is quietly powerful in my Drifting Amalgams universe. But what’s so special about moving goods from one place to another?
This is the worldbuild that helps turn a simple corporation into a galactic power.
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Creating a Fictional Galaxy-Wide Conglomerate
Before it becomes a “galactic power,” my company needs an identity.
Short for Industrial Services, IndServ’s roots are in mining.
As it grew, it became the biggest name in end-to-end convenience. Basically, it does everything from extracting resources to delivering products to your doorstep.
As a fledgling company, though, how would it reach this goal?
Well, as early as the sixth century BCE, rail transit was used in Greece to haul rock and minerals out of mines. And early companies in North America used that technology to grow. I think I can work with a space version of that.
If IndSev is going to become a galactic power, they’ll need to offer regular, predictable delivery of goods.
Which means I need minable entities that have a high degree of reliability. Entities with stable repetitive orbits.
Planets, moons, and asteroids will be used as mining centers.
And now that I have “mines,” I need the celestial equivalent of a railway.
An idea like hyperspace routes came to mind, but I want something with more avenues for narrative conflict.
I mean, hyperspace lanes are interesting, but generally speaking, the point is that space travellers don’t run into anything–including each other. If I remove interaction from my universe, I decrease my storytelling options.
But this decision means IndServ could have a lot of marketplace competition… and they’d be an easy target for pirates.
Not really the best way to become a powerful galactic company. And it doesn’t exactly mirror the idea of a railway.
I need to give IndServ more control over their transportation routes.
Not an easy thing to do since we’re talking about an entire galaxy. So I’ll start by focusing on what happens before spacecraft leave orbit.
Worldbuilding Space Shipping Efficiencies and Protections
Part of why railways are an interesting idea for this worldbuild is because they have limited access.
Governments. Control. Airspace.
For example, the FAA issues commercial space licenses. It’s also involved in the safety of crafts as well as crew training.
So how does this work for IndServ?
When it comes to asteroids, IndSev’s mining rights extend to the entire astronomical body. They essentially own these entities… and their surrounding airspace. No reason for IndServ to allow any launches or landing from non-company vehicles.
But, planets and moons are another story. Since they’re not under IndServ’s jurisdiction. IndServ couldn’t restrict landings and launches. But they could have priority access to space licensing and launch certifications.
If I follow a modern-day (capitalistic) logic.
See, the company invested early in space travel and grew exponentially. And as they grew, they needed more and more launch access and airspace to ensure that goods and technology flowed freely between planets. A planet in need of raw material–bought or sold–would happily hand over priority access.
Plus, IndServ has another advantage. …from a modern-day perspective.
For safety, efficiency, and effectiveness, spacecraft are launched during specific windows of time and from certain locations.
Not only can they lock out specific time windows with their priority airspace requests.
But, as the innovators of space travel, IndServ would have been able to purchase the best planetary launch sites before spacefaring became popular. That means they control launches from thousands of ground sites galaxy-wide.
But it’s not enough to control a majority of space access options. Remember, IndServ is destined to be a galactic power.
I need to make their space presence even more noteworthy.
Worldbuilding Space Aspects and Obstacles for Freighters
Now that I’ve created ground limits, let’s revisit the idea of competitors and pirates.
Both the daring and the desperate are likely to attempt launches and landings without permission. That’s a pretty risky proposition in this world, though.
IndServ doesn’t have to worry much about undesirables within planets or moon orbit. When rogue spacecraft don’t have permission to be in a planet’s airspace–and most of them don’t–local governments will take care of them.
And when spacecraft invade IndServ’s airspace? Well, let’s just say that their profit-protection methods are pretty ruthless. That goes for in-space piracy as well.
But there are many dangers to contend with for anyone who travels the great beyond.
Navigationally, they’ll need to worry about gas, dust, and comets.
This is even more true since I’m contemplating FTL.
It’s a sci-fi staple for a reason. And I don’t want my characters to take forever to get somewhere. So I’ll keep faster-than-light travel. Realistically, a universe this sophisticated would have systems advanced enough for safe piloting. So I’ll give them AI systems to navigate safely at these speeds.
Trips will be safe, but fuel-intensive.
Long trips–like the ones that traverse entire galaxies–require a lot of flight adjustments. And this exhausts valuable resources like fuel and water.
Since IndSev is in the business of extracting and refining raw materials, they’ll probably be okay. Just to make sure though, I’ll define a few details like the idea that they mine comets for water and interstellar space for fuel.
And as they put more and more ships in space, they’ll need to have a convenient way to replenish resources for their own ships. Some sort of pumping station for company use should suffice.
And since there’s profit in extending their resources to other spacefarers: Perhaps a member price for hydration and refueling services.
And with space travel being pretty common, ship malfunctions are likely. So the Short-Distance Stellar Support Vehicle, or 3SV, that I already worldbuilt will make parts delivery and repair easy.
Yeah… I think I have a pretty strong foundation for IndServ’s space dominance.
Until next time, stay curious.