New Horizons' 2015 Encounter with Pluto and Charon
Original artwork: "New Horizons" (.tif, 20M);
Credit: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The Russian Winter Project is a crash research and development effort similar to the 20th-century Apollo Project but larger in scope. Areas of research include new weapon systems and armor, improvements to trans-dimensional drives and other applications of new Trans-D theory, and magnetogravitic propulsion.

The project is headquartered at Winter Base, the Solar System's largest -- and most heavily defended -- R&D site. Engineers hollowed out a significant fraction of Charon and built the Winter Base facility several kilometers beneath the satellite's surface. The space around Pluto is tightly controlled: its defensive systems are programmed to automatically engage any nearby spacecraft not emitting a friendly IFF transponder signal. Crews aboard Winter Base have orders to engage any spacecraft -- even a friendly -- if it does not have proper authorization upon approaching within 150,000 kilometers of Charon.

Once a ship has docked, anyone who wishes to enter Winter Base proper must possess Infrared-level security clearance and proper authorization to enter the facility. Anyone who enters the base without clearance and authorization faces detention and trial for violating Terran Defense Martial Code 144.368.29, one of the few Terran laws that carries a death penalty.

• Qualgra alloy. Scientists have developed a special alloy composed of nickel, iron, and carbon nanofibers woven around small quantities of qualgra crystal. The new alloy can withstand acceleration forces in excess of 400,000 G's and relativistic stress up to 0.65c. It is 50 percent more resistant to particle beams and physical impacts than previous armor alloys and 150 percent more resistant to lasers and other directed-energy weapons.



• Cheetah-class interceptor. Developed early in the Russian Winter Project's R&D cycle, the Cheetah-class interceptor is built with qualgra-alloy armor and carries two powerful fusion-thrust engines. Its top acceleration is 100,000 G's, and it can reach a top speed of 0.75c. Built to engage enemy fighter craft and torpedoes, the Cheetah does not carry any fusion torpedoes and has a relatively short effective range of five light-minutes (90 million kilometers).



• Magnetogravitic drive. This new drive system builds upon earlier magnetogravitic theory and applications such as artificial gravity systems. It can propel spacecraft by creating short-lived "bubbles" of high gravity along a ship's hull. The drive's upper limits for acceleration and top speed are limited only by the amount of power required to travel at relativistic speeds and the ability of a ship's crew and structure to withstand high acceleration and relativistic stress.



• Mark II fusion torpedoes. New fusion torpedoes sacrifice some of their payload mass to incorporate magnetogravitic drives and improved targeting computers. As a result, the new torpedoes can accelerate to 0.75c and engage in basic evasive maneuvers to avoid being picked off. Additionally, their computers are more resistant to electronic countermeasures. A depleted uranium tip allows the torpedo to puncture the hull of its target before detonating. This releases most of the blast within the ship's hull, which bottles much of the damage inside the target.



• Third-generation Trans-D drives. New starship-rated trans-dimensional drives are vastly more efficient than their predecessors. These "third-generation" drives can create Trans-D thresholds in a matter of seconds, compared to times of up to a minute for second-generation drives. The transit time for a third-generation drive is one-fourth the transit time for previous drives, so that a transit from Earth to Providence Station takes 12 hours instead of 36. Engineers can refit starships and space stations with the new drives in approximately eight hours, as the only substantial difference between the second- and third-generation drives is in their control systems.



• Smaller second-generation Trans-D drives. Previously, only starships carried trans-dimensional drives because the control systems and containment chambers for the drives' exotic matter were too bulky to be installed in anything smaller. Engineers solved the first problem using DNA-based computers -- the first time that such technology has been applied to trans-dimensional drive systems. They solved the second by placing a limit of 30 meters on the drive's threshold size, in contrast to starship drives' thresholds, which can open several kilometers wide. This allowed engineers to drastically scale back the amount of exotic matter needed for the smaller drive, resulting in a containment system small enough to install in a starfighter.



• The Tigress-class starfighter. This starfighter beats any other fighter craft, Terran or Ceti, in its acceleration curve, top speed and maneuverability. It incorporates the new armor and magnetogravitic and trans-dimensional drive technology as well as a neural interface that allows the pilot to control the craft as part of his own body. The "cockpit" is a cocoon that fills with water and pressurizes to the equivalent of 50 feet deep once sealed. The water suspends the pilot and, combined with the artificial gravity system, protects him from acceleration forces as high as 180,000 G's.



• The Star Raptor-class starship. The Star Raptor is the culmination of the Russian Winter Project's R&D efforts. The starship, measuring 1,000 meters by 600 meters, incorporates the new qualgra armor, third-generation Trans-D drive and magnetogravitic drive. The ship class carries two squadrons of Tigress-class starfighters, and its acceleration and maneuverability characteristics are the same as a vessel one-fourth its size. Its maximum acceleration is 40,000 G's, and it can sustain speeds up to 0.6c. Its armament includes four forward-facing Type XII laser cannons, which can deliver 30 gigawatts per square meter to a target area, as well as a complement of front-, side-, and rear-facing Kentauran gravitic cannons and mass drivers. The Star Raptor has 10 forward torpedo tubes and five rear tubes, with a complement of 250 Mark II fusion torpedoes. Turret-based lasers, particle-beam catapults, and laser intercept launchers round out the ship's defensive armament.

An Artist's Rendering of Pluto and Charon
Credit: European Southern Observatory

Shipyards within Winter Base have already begun construction of several Star Raptor-class starships. The first ships in the new class will be named TDS Star Raptor, TDS Russian Winter, TDS Dämmerung, TDS Perun, and TDS Mjöllnir. Approximately 50 Tigress-class fighters have been completed. TDS Star Raptor and TDS Russian Winter were officially commissioned Oct. 25, 2146, after final inspections at Winter Base.