                              Command : SHUTTLE

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: shuttle [<SHUTTLE/FLEET> | <SECTS>]  [climb|descend  <new-
ALTITUDE>]

The shuttle command is a census of your space shuttles and lists all the  info
available in readable format.  The command also lets you make altitude changes
for individual shuttles.

The <SHUTTLE/FLEET> and <SECTS> arguments let you look at one shuttle, a fleet
of shuttles, or all shuttles within a given area.

The [climb|descend] and <new-ALTITUDE> arguments lets you change  a  shuttle's
altitude  (which,  in  turn,  changes  its orbital velocity, viewing distance,
viewing accuracy, etc).  Just above the atmosphere (which typically extends up
to  about  altitude 32), a shuttle will move each update with an orbital velo-
city equal to the number of ETUs per update; at altitude 126, a shuttle has an
orbital velocity of 1; altitude 127 is a geosynchronous parking orbit.  Ascent
beyond altitude 127 is (currently) not possible.

Mobility cost of  an  altitude  change  is  equal  the  distance  ascended  or

                              Command : SHUTTLE

descended.  Petrol cost varies: petrol burned in  a  climb  is  equal  to  the
mobility  cost;  petrol  burned  in  a descent is equal to 1/8 of the mobility
cost.

To launch a shuttle, use the `launch shuttle' command.  Once  the  shuttle  is
airborne,  the `shuttle' command is used to make altitude changes or land, and
the `navigate' command is used to make position adjustments.

To land a shuttle, you must manually descend it down to altitude zero  (ground
level)  at an airfield.  Attempts to descend more than ETU/2 units of altitude
at any one time will be rejected (the vertical velocity would  be  too  great,
and the shuttle would burn up in the atmosphere).  NOTE: An unattended shuttle
shuttle that is lower than altitude 127 will lose altitude at each  update  at
an increasing rate, and eventually will become toast.

To change a shuttle's direction of orbit once it's  aloft,  the  shuttle  must
first  be  at  altitude 127.  Use the `nav' command to move the shuttle in the
desired direction, and then descend the shuttle to a lower altitude.  Although
a  shuttle  at  lower  altitude can be manually navigated in any direction, it
will continue in its orbital direction at the update.

                              Command : SHUTTLE

Shuttle expects one or more arguments.  To see every shuttle you own, give  it
the argument '*', or type "shuttle *".

The report format contains the following fields:

        shu#  the shuttle number
     shuttle  the type of shuttle (shuttle, blimp, airship, etc)
         x,y  the shuttle's current location (relative to your capital)
         f/c  fleet and convoy designation letters (set by `fleetadd' command)
         eff  the shuttle's efficiency
         alt  the shuttle's orbit vector and altitude
         civ  civ is the number of civilians on board
         mil  mil is the number of military on board
        food  the amount of food on board
         mob  the mobility of the shuttle
        tech  the tech level of the shuttle
         air  the amount of cabin air aboard
         pet  the amount of petrol aboard

                              Command : SHUTTLE

For example:
   [##:##] Command: shuttle *

   shu#   shuttle type      x,y    f/c  eff   orbit civ mil food mob  air pet
     22 space shuttle    -127,23       100%  18j/92   1   1    2  10 100%  24
   1 shuttles

   [##:##] Command: shu 22 climb 94

   space shuttle #22 climbing to altitude 94 in -127,23.
   1 shuttle

See also : build, cargo, fleetadd, navigate, load,  lookout,  scrap,  upgrade,
transport, shuttle-types

