The O.D.S.D.B. or the Planet Cracker is a large mining platform being developed by the Ember Foundation that is meant to be deployed from orbit for short mining missions on hazardous planets, whether that be from hostile wildlife, or extreme weather. Due to the mobile nature of the facility, it can also be used for long space travel that requires several resupplies far from available docks.

The Planet Cracker is the first major project to be developed by the Ember Foundation as a solution towards resource shortages on the frontier, for both quick resource gathering, and safety in hazardous conditions. As of YE 42 it is still in the prototype phase, and not available to anyone outside of the Foundation.

The length of the O.D.S.D.B. is about 100 meters in length, and 40 in length and width. It is mainly made out of steel with a heat resistant plating on the exterior. It carries a shield generator and a fusion reactor, along with auxiliary generators that can burn fuels located planetside. 3D printers and recyclers are carried by the structure. It carries a secondary environmental dome shield in order to shield operatives from hostile weather while deployed. The shield covers a radius of 50 meters. Crew needs to be transported via external means. The platform can be manned with as little as four members, but the recommended is 12.

The facility is designed to be mounted on the exterior of a ship, to allow smaller ships to carry it. It is then launched from orbit onto the planet’s surface. When launched, it takes on a spear-like aerodynamic form to penetrate through the atmosphere, and typically lands via puncturing the ground like a stake. From there it self-assembles into a workable base in which the crew can interact with.

Self-assembling takes the form with a mixture of prebuilt assets stored within the O.D.S.D.B., and advanced 3D printers stocked with raw materials. The printers can also process harvested materials onsite and produce new items if needed. Automated defenses can also be included if any hostile wildlife is anticipated. Plans about whether or not to use the O.D.S.D.B. as an offensive weapon are still being discussed.

During or after assembly, depending on environmental conditions, crew is sent down via drop-pod in order to both man and protect the station. The station is equipped with a variety of automated industrial mining tools, but still requires a technician to start the process.

The platform is powered by a fusion reactor, although it can be equipped with auxiliary generators that can process fuels found on the planet if need be. It is also equipped with an environmental dome shield, in order to protect against severe weather, as well as to modulate temperature and oxygen. Personnel are still advised to wear personal protection in the event of shield failure. Harvested resources are sent back to the ship by being shot out of a mass driver built into the O.D.S D.B, where the harvested materials are recovered in orbit. When the excavation is complete, the platform is equipped with thrusters to carry itself back into orbit after disassembling itself. Onboard recyclers can disassemble extra items created onsite if it cannot be stored on the platform. Crew can extract via traditional methods such as dropship, or if in a pinch, the mass driver can be repurposed to directly fire them into orbit in the drop-pod they arrived in.

The platform comes equipped with six turrets, which are automatically mounted directly in a hexagonal formation once the structure is fully deployed. The environmental dome, while primarily used to protect against the environment, can in a pinch be configured to resist ordinance, though this means anyone inside the dome will be exposed to the elements should the shield fail.

While the original design is to be used in mining expeditions, alternative designs have been proposed. These templates are modifications meant to serve different needs. Scientific or military modules could replace the mining variants. As of now these designs have only been suggested and no work has been done to design these alternatives.

🚧 This article is a work-in-progress. Is it not currently approved.