Survey ship 'Freeman Dyson'

[MartG]

Survey ship 'Freeman Dyson'

   Following the early attempts at asteroid mining in the 2020s, the industry began to hit its stride in the early 2050s. Competition was fierce, and finding a resource rich asteroid and staking a claim was key to the whole operation. Rather then sending the large, slow, and clumsy mining ships to explore asteroids found by telescope in the hope if striking it rich, mining companies invested in fleets of smaller and faster survey ships to carry out this important task.
   The Jupiter Mining Corporation's 'Freeman Dyson' is a typical vessel of this type. Powered by a nuclear thermal engine, designed to use water as a working fluid, it can refuel itself from ice found in certain types of asteroid to extend its range. Its six man crew is nominally split into two functional areas, flight crew and astrogeologists/planetologists, though usually there is considerable crossover between the two functions.
   A highly efficient recycling system, along with a small 'greenhouse' allows mission durations of up to 18 months, though the addition of extra resource modules can extend this.

Essentially a kitbash of the Lindbergh/Glencoe Retriever Rocket kit, with extra fuel tanks cast in resin, plus a few odds and sods from my spares box and some homemade decals

[Father Ennis]

Execellent work !!!

[Weaver]

Nice one - I've just been thinking about real-ish space things of late too! 

That engine nozzle and chamber is off a Space 1999 Hawk isn't it?

[MartG]

That engine nozzle and chamber is off a Space 1999 Hawk isn't it?

Well spotted - though it has the bell extension from an Airfix Saturn F-1 engine

[Ed S]

"Me likkee!"  Very creative and quite plausible.

Ed

[Mr.Creak]

Nice!
Just keep Rimmer and Lister away from it.

[Cobra]

Superb Job has that Classic 50's/60's Spacecraft Look to it! Almost Think You'd see Something Similar in 'Thunderbirds' or 'Captain Scarlet'! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

[kerick]

Good concept, I like it. How about the competitors ships?

[chrisonord]

COOL 
I am liking this Mart, this would not look out of place in an episode of UFO, the crew being seized and harvested by the Aliens and the craft sent back to earth as a very large nuclear bomb 
Chris

[sandiego89]

I like this a lot.  I tend to enjoy "realistic" sci-fi and this hits the mark very well.  Niceley done.