Starfarer

Starfarer (series)

The MISC Starfarer is a refueling platform that can also act as fuel transporter, collector and refinery. They are able to collect Hydrogen fuel from stars and extrasolar sources, refine them and then refuel other ship's in flight. The Starfarer is able to dock with, and refuel, many different divisions of starship, thanks to its docking mechanisms.

History
The Starfarer came about as a result of an 18-month survey of space travel which resulted in a 15,000-page study on ship roles and the current shortcomings faced by space pilots that concluded with the decision to produce a spacecraft capable of fuel collection, refining, storage and distribution to other ships in flight. Preceding this craft, the role was filled by a number of reverse-engineered and retrofitted craft, notorious for being dangerous and ineffective. This had lead to a pirate rule of thumb that "a ship caught refueling could be captured intact, as no captain would ever risk a firefight breaking out".

The safety and ease of use of these craft have seen them become the standard for space refueling, with many being upgraded with refining mechanisms that can refine collected fuel, ready for use. Another modification available to Starfarer pilots is the modification of the fuel tanks to become liquid foodstuff storage units. A final upgrade allows the fuel tanks to be swapped out altogether, to be replaced by a cargo chassis for goods transport. However, this has proven unpopular compared to the versatile Freelancer or the specialised Hull series.