Sub-material spacecraft

Sub-material spacecraft were craft designed to be transported distances using sub-material travel. These ranged from simple non-habitable non-mobile cargo craft such as small spheres or cubes to fully-inhabited mega-structures. Common among all sub-material spacecraft was the necessity to encase them in mutite, though due to the reactive nature of the raw material stathene-encased mutite was almost exclusively used for this purpose.

Types

There were a number of variations of sub-material spacecraft.

Non-habitable

Non-habitable sub-material spacecraft were craft incapable of supporting any life for any reason. A majority of sub-material spacecraft created during the history of sub-material travel fell under this category, almost exclusively for the purpose of cargo transport. While for the most part these craft needed to be radiation-proof, not much else was required of them. As such, spacecraft varieties of this time mostly consisted of spherical craft. Spheres were ideal for this purpose because they provided optimal interior volume, allowing for the most cargo possible, while minimizing surface area, and thus minimizing the amount of mutite necessary to build and maintain them. A number of other shapes were also used in lesser quantity, particularly to suit specific use-cases.

Habitable

Habitable sub-material spacecraft were craft suited to the upkeep of lifeforms for sub-material travel. These ranged from simple passenger transport craft (often referred to as space buses) to driveable self-sustaining craft (starships), and were used for a number of purposes including tourism, exploration, scientific research, and combat.