Shipping and spacelift firms
Tens of thousands of passengers and billions of tons of raw materials and finished goods are transported between Earth, the Asteroid Belt, and the colonies ever single year, almost all of them by a handful of shipping and spacelift corporations.
Companies that run reliable routes and deliver a consistently high standard of service may be contracted by the World Union Department of Communications and Transport to provide colonial resupply and mail services, and are permitted to display the eight-pointed Union Star as part of their corporate insignia.
Krag Shipping. Formed through a merger of several Scandinavian firms in 2097, the Copenhagen-based Krag Shipping is today the largest freight firm in the Solar System. Krag Shipping is focused on the Asteroid Belt trade, though it also controls a substantial sea-based fleet of drone container ships and barges for onward movement of cargo on Earth.
Perennial Space Corporation. Like Krag Shipping, the Wenchang-based Perennial Space Corporation grew out of an ocean-going transport firm in the early 2100s. Today, Perennial largely focuses on the Lunar and Martian trade, operating both cargo freighters and passenger ships.
Swallow Shipping. A subsidiary of the Swallow Corporation, Swallow Shipping was reorganised from the Bekker-Aaldenberg Shipping Corporation in 2095, and grew significantly over the next fifteen years. Today it is the largest passenger and freight provider in cislunar space, dominating trade between Earth, Luna, and the Lagrange point stations. It also provides low-cost passenger services to Mars and the Asteroid Belt, though it is often criticised for poor-quality accommodation and hidden add-on fees.
Pulsar Tankers. Pulsar Tankers is the Solar System’s leading transporter of fusion fuels and bulk liquids. The company holds the contract to provide Underway Replenishment (UNREP) to Space Patrol Service ships, and is the largest contributor to the Patrol’s Ship Taken Up From Trade (STUFT) programme in terms of tonnage pledged.
Martian & Beltward Line. Along with Halifax and Gillingham-Foyle, Martian & Beltward (M&B) is one of the “Big Three” passenger lines. M&B provides large-scale passenger and cruise ships and is renowned for its high standard of customer service. Traditionally focused on Mars and the Asteroid Belt, the company has taken advantage of the opening of Jupiter and its moons to tourism with the purchase of three long-range Desideratum-class cruise liners.
Halifax Line. The Canada-based Halifax Line is renowned for its fast, regular services to Mars and the Asteroid Belt, and largely focuses on the bulk passenger trade with only a minority interest in tourism and cruises.
Gillingham-Foyle Line. Gillingham-Foyle operates both Venusian and Martian passenger lines, and holds the exclusive contract to transport ultra-wealthy tourists to Venus’ Cloud Nine resort. Unlike its rivals M&B and Halifax, it has yet to gain the coveted Union Star from the Department of Communications and Transport.
Jupiter Shipping Corporation. The Jupiter Shipping Corporation is a semi-publicly-owned company that has the World Union contract for the transport of radionuclides from Jupiter: the gas giant’s intense radiation belt means that Jupiter is the centre for the spallation of elements into industrial and medical radioisotopes. Jupiter Shipping’s vessels travel under heavy escort and are regular targets for pirates.
Hermes Shipping Corporation. Similar to Jupiter Shipping, the Hermes Shipping Corporation is a largely-publicly-owned firm that handles the uncompetitive Mercury trade, resupplying the World Union’s science stations on and around the planet.
United Spaceways. Formed in 2098 as a conglomerate of United States and Canadian companies, United Spaceways is today the world’s largest air and space line and the primary launch provider for North America. Operating out of the Van Horn, Boca Chica, St Lawrence, and Mojave spaceports, United Spaceways provides both passenger and cargo services using Skyraker spaceplanes and Silver Arrow super-heavy lift rockets.
European Spacelift Group. The European Spacelift Group (ESG) is a consortium shipping firms operating out of Guiana Spaceport and Brest Bretagne Spaceport. In addition to heavy lift rockets and spaceplanes, ESG is one of only four launch companies – along with United Spaceways, Perennial, and East Africa Heavy Lift – to operate the Star Kraken ultra-heavy lift vehicles, the largest rockets ever built and capable of launching 550 tons into orbit at a time.
British and Irish Spacelift. Operating out of the Machrihanish and Cornwall spaceports, British and Irish Spacelift is a binational launch consortium. The company’s fleet includes Tundra Rockets’ Silver Arrow super-heavy lift rockets and Stieglitz Aerospace’s Skyraker spaceplanes.
Caledonian Orbital. A budget space line operating out between Machrihanish Spaceport and Boreas Station, Caledonian Orbital is the United Kingdom’s largest space line by passengers carried. The company also operates connecting flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Southampton.