                             Concept : Spacecraft

 Spacecraft are units constructed by nations to operate in the airless  region
above  that  in  which planes operate.  Spacecraft are used to gather intelli-
gence about other nations activities, to assure command of space, and to  bom-
bard other nations with nuclear devices from orbit.  Spacecraft have many dif-
ferent capabilities, and they vary greatly in cost, cargo capacity, ability to
maneuver, and to perform detailed reconnaissance.

Spacecraft, like the other kinds of units, are built and owned by nations.  To
build  a spacecraft, a nation must spend construction materials in a function-
ing airbase sector that has excess available civilian workforce.  This initial
construction  will  cost  10%  of the full cost of the spacecraft, and it will
create a 10% efficient spacecraft in the airbase.

As time passes (assuming the airbase is 60% efficient  and  there  are  enough
civilians  available  to  work on the construction of the new spacecraft), the
spacecraft will gain efficiency each update.   Until  the  spacecraft  reaches
100%,  it cannot be launched into orbit.  For each 1% of efficiency built, the
owning nation will be charged 1% of the spacecraft price.

Once spacecraft are completely constructed, they are free to be launched  into

                             Concept : Spacecraft

orbit, where they will be able to perform defense,  reconnaissance,  intercep-
tion, or bombardment missions for the owning nation.  Many spacecraft missions
require and use mobility which is accrued every  update.   Unlike  most  other
Empire  units,  spacecraft  require  no  maintenance and as such incur no per-
update charges as do units such as planes and ships.

In Empire, there are only two altitudes at which a spacecraft can operate: low
earth  orbit  (LEO) and geosynchronous orbit (GEO).  The orbit a spacecraft is
in will affect how it will perform a particular mission, and how  it  will  be
tracked  by your and other nations from the ground.  The altitude (LEO or GEO)
is determined at launch time, and can never be changed.

Spacecraft in GEO remain fixed in one place.  Spacecraft in GEO can  typically
see  large  sections of the Empire world with a particular scan.  However, the
information gathered is not particularly detailed, and only the largest  unit-
types will be spotted by a spacecraft in GEO.

Spacecraft in LEO are not fixed in one place; they orbit  horizontally  around
the world.  They do this so quickly (in Empire terms) that they are considered
to occupy every sector on their particular horizontal  (y-coordinate)  at  any

                             Concept : Spacecraft

given time.  Operating from such a low orbit, LEO spacecraft can  only  see  a
small  number  of  sectors with any given scan, however the level of detail is
typically quite high.

Spacecraft inhabiting LEO and GEO are unaffected by actions that occur in  the
regions below them.

Missions that spacecraft can perform are as follows:
        alter  Alter the orbit of a spacecraft.
        orbit  Launch a spacecraft into orbit (usually via missile).
         peek  Examine the contents of the region the spacecraft is over.
         drop  Drop a nuclear device.

               While spacecraft cannot carry commodities as  can  ships,  they
               can  carry  nuclear  devices  and they also have many different
               types of abilities.  The abilities are as follows.

                             Concept : Spacecraft

 bomb  The spacecraft can carry and drop nuclear devices.
  spy  The spacecraft can perform simple ground reconnaissance.
image  The spacecraft can perform complex ground reconnaissance.
interception  The spacecraft can intercept (by ramming) other spacecraft.
  abm  The spacecraft can destroy other spacecraft at a distance.
evade  The spacecraft can evade destruction attempts.
detect  The spacecraft can detect missile launches.
reentry  The spacecraft can re-enter the atmosphere and land at an airbase.

