Space Warship Design: A Process

In these posts, we'll go through the process of designing a space warship from A to Z. We'll start from the initial brainstorming session, and end with multiple models easily derived from our baseline.

Of course, many methods exist. Even if you apply the exact same steps described here, you might end up with a very different result. Nonetheless, please use this as a 'worked example' from which you can build your own method, or simply as inspiration if you find yourself in a tight spot!

You are wrong about nanotechnology

Nanotechnology. The foremost buzzword of the 2000s, holding the promise of a technology that could make anything, with little input other than raw materials. A liquid factory, in a sense. Others saw it as the precursor to the singularity, with resource scarcity becoming a thing of the past.

Let's take a closer look at this mainstay of science fiction.

A Constellation of Warships II

Here, we will continue the discussion on space fleet composition and formations.

A Constellation of Warships

So, you've designed a spaceship to fight your wars in space. It can travel between planets, perform multiple missions and is based on NASA reports and real, hard science. You've estimated your nation's military budget, and come out with a fleet capacity and a number of spaceships.

But then... your glorious collection of spaceships fly out in Napoleonic square formation. Or was it pre-WWI lines of battle? Maybe it's Star-Wars-esque clumps of capital ships with space fighters swarming around them. No, you need the ToughSF approach.