There are 13 systems in the Express Boat Network that have a class E starport. That means the Scout service cannot contract a local firm to supply fuel to the station. In these systems, they will need to haul fuel to the station for processing.
The only tanker I could find in my Traveller books is a 1,000,000 ton ship. That’s a little overkill for the station. This is my take on a simpler fuel hauler.
ISGR-Class Fuel Hauler
The ISGR-Class Fuel Hauler is built to service Scout stations along the Express Boat Network. It is intended to be deployed in systems where the IISS cannot secure fuel from a 3rd party. The design is based on the following assumptions.
- Jump not required: The ship is only used in system. No point wasting space on jump drives.
- Transit times might be long: Transit times from the station to the nearest gas giant can be measured in days for systems with large stars. Haul enough fuel for a be able to restock the station twice between trips.
- Gather and haul fuel: The hauler needs to be able to extract fuel from a gas giant.
- Station can refine: No need to add a fuel purifier as the station can process the fuel.
- No rush to transfer: Taking a few hours to transfer the fuel to the station is fine.
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