A systemship.

This is, as you can probably read, the ICAS Antioch, FN1078, an interplanetary/intrasystem freighter.  If you compare this ship with full-fledged starships, you will notice a wide variety of differences.  For example, the fuel storage capacity is much less than that of a starship, because intrasystem voyages naturally require much less flight time and thus less fuel.  Similarly, the ship has no ring habitat, again due to the short average length of crew stays on-board.  Why, then, is the forward shield so wide?  Because the ship must accomodate standard-size cargo containers, which are designed for starships.
 

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This page (http://www.jiawen.net/systemship.html) designed and ©1999 by Rachel Kronick.   Last updated 9/30/1999.