| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.0 2014.01.31 |
| Technology 05B: Emigrant Ships |
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Illustrated by Jun Wada
Caption: The Emigrant Ships, which were founded by the SDF-1 Macross, developed remarkably within a short time. In particular, the New Macross class and the Island Cluster class -the subsequently developed New Macross class- with the environment ships, were consecutively enabled to undertake semipermanent activity.
Emigrant Ships
The human race barely survived the battle with the Bodoru Main Fleet. Nevertheless, it was thought that the Earth would be completely annihilated if a Zentraadi Main Fleet attacked a second time. Accordingly, the New Unified Government drafted the "Mankind Seeding Plan (Mankind Immigration Plan)", in September, 2011. This plan ensured the survivability of the species, seeing that a Zentraadi invasion cannot be prevented, by ferreting out in the entire galaxy planets where the human race could reside, and undertaking decentralized emigration to those planets with the Zentraadi who are cooperating with Earth's mankind.
However, there was the problem of not knowing where planets that the human race could reside exist in observations from Earth. Therefore, Space Emigrant Ships that could cruise the Galaxy, while taking more than 10,000 crew on board and searching for a livable planet, were required in the "Mankind Seeding Plan".* The SDF-1 Macross military vessel can certainly be called the prototype of those Emigrant Ships. During the First Interstellar War, its voyage continued for over one year, and it accommodated 56,000 people.
Town areas were construction inside the Macross, which had vast surplus space within the 1,200 m long warship. During the one year, it was able to maintain the citizen's livelihoods while continuing to fight and navigate. Furthermore, its sailing has been called a success as the ship was replenished only twice (one of those times was at the uninhabited Mars Sara Base). The SDF-1 took on a sense of reality in the "Mankind Seeding Plan".
The typical Emigrant Ships used in the first stage of the plan were the same model as the Macross and the Megaroad class, which is an improved Macross class model. These ships could accommodate a population exceeding a maximum of about 25,000 people, and their construction was also hurried in fear of a Zentraadi invasion of the Earth. After that, the New Macross class was completed. Its Battle and City Spaceships were able to be separated. There are several hundred thousand people in this New Macross class, and the number of people accommodated increases to a maximum number of several tens of millions of people in the variant Island Cluster class. In addition, such things as safety, urban functions, and the ability to voyage without replenishment also remarkably improved. In the 2050's, they continue to sail in the whole area of the galaxy as the main Emigrant Ships.
* Translator's note: originally was: "Therefore, Space Emigrant Ships that are able to carrying more than 10,000 crew and cruise the Galaxy, while searching for a livable planet, were required in the "Mankind Seeding Plan"
Related Matter: the History of the Lineage of Macross Emigrant Ships
The progress of the "Mankind Seeding Plan" is the history of the Macross series of ships. The ships sequentially went into commission from the initial SDFN series of the first generation model Macross ships, the Megaroad class, and later the New Macross Class from the 2030's.
* Translator's note: originally was: "2019.06: the 13th Super Long Range Emigrant Fleet Megaroad 13 departs."
Caption: In the first generation Macross ships, where the Battleship and City Spaceship were integrated, even the structure of the urban areas were changed when transforming. In the early days, the urban areas were occasionally destroyed.
Caption: In the New Macross class Macross series ships, the Battleship and the City Spaceship can separated. As the Battleship transforms on its own, there wasn't any damage to the urban areas.
Related Matter: Zentraadi Emigrant Ships
Even though various types of Emigrant Ship exist, especially conspicuous are the ones that only the Zentraadi participated in. Even though several tens of thousands of anti-Earth Zentraadi participated informally in the many solo Zentraadi Emigrant Ships, several of which departed in 2031, almost invariably contact with them was lost soon after departure.
Macross 5
The No.5 New Macross class departed as the 35th Super Long Range Emigrant Fleet as an official Emigrant Fleet by pro-Earth Zentraadi. Although the voyage went smoothly, the fleet was annihilated by the Protodevilun after arriving at Planet Rax.
Caption: The Zentraadi of the Macross 5 were transformed into Myclones. They were reduced to powerlessness by the Protodevilun through such things as brainwashing and spiritia absorption.
Emigrant Ship Changes
Macross Class: The Prototype Emigrant Ship
It is the refurbished ASS-1, which is said to have been an Inspection Forces Battleship. As the original form was for giant-sized aliens, there were extensive surplus sections that were remade for earthlings. Urban areas were hurriedly constructed to accommodate the refugees within the center of the warship and the parts that correspond to legs. Because of that, the Macross class are ships where the Battleship and City Spaceship are integrated.
Caption: Transforming in order to fire the main armament was adopted by an on-the-spot decision. The close-range hand-to-hand combat move "the Daedalus Attack", that used the Storming Attack form, was also invented.
Megaroad Class: A Refit Warship That Attached Greater Importance To Livability
The No.1 ship was the Megaroad-01, the remodelled SDF-2 Megaroad. Its functions as a Battleship are limited, with such things as the removal of the main battery and the removal of the transformation system. Instead, the ship stresses livability. A great number were built, and they played an active role as Super Long Range Emigrant ships.
Caption: From the structure of the fleet, it is understood that the Megaroad class is not suitable for combat. In the initial stage of the "Mankind Seeding Plan", the Megaroad class formed the core of the plan, as the highest function it had at the time it was placed into commission was to be the City Spaceship.
New Macross class: A New Style Of Emigrant Ship That Uses A Detachable Structure
A new style of Emigrant Ship that was made into a separable Battle class Variable Stealth Attack Space Carrier, which is a battleship, and a City Ship, which is the residential section. It can accommodate a population from several hundred thousand to several million people, as it became easy to enlarge the city ship due to the construction of separate hulls.
Caption: The Battle class, which is a battleship, has a transformation function. Even though the City Ship doesn't have any combat capabilities, it excels in durability.
Caption: Even though the first generation type of urban areas were cramped, the urban areas of the New Macross class were remarkably enlarged, and as the dome was transparent, the feeling of being cooped up decreased.
The Urban Functions Of The SDF-1 Macross
The urban areas within the SDF-1 Macross were made from the materials recovered from South Ataria Island. Because of that, not only the residential areas, but also such buildings as restaurants, clothing stores, discos and other such stores and schools were constructed.
Caption: The stores within the Macross were basically the ones that were on South Ataria Island. Daytime and nighttime were reproduced by groups of light projectors installed in the ceiling.
The Urban Functions Of The New Macross class
In the New Macross class ship series, enlargement accompanied the City Spaceship's independence, and not only were the urban areas changed into large-scale, natural environments, such things as forests, rivers and hills were reproduced, according to the ship.
Caption: Besides being able to construct skyscrapers which accompanied the enlargement of the urban area's capacity, such things as monitor equipped airships and sky-lounges also occurred.
Traffic Systems
Except for the Macross Galaxy fleet, in which there was little need to go out due to the advancement of electronic brains, transportation is indispensable within the City Spaceships. Because of that, in addition to maintaining the paved roads that comprise the roadways in the urban areas, railroad networks were also completed within the vast New Macross class.
Caption: In the Emigrant Fleets composed of several vessels, a means of transport that connects each ship also exists. A typical one is the Macross 7 Fleet's "Milky Road".
The Traffic System Of The SDF-1 Macross
The volume of the urban areas were limited due to the size of the Macross. Because of that, the necessity of an advanced traffic system was low, and only roads with a maximum of 4 lanes were maintained. Walking was the usual means of transport.
Caption: As the military facilities that were constructed within the ship appear to have been separate from the urban areas, there were a lot of military personnel moving in the town in military vehicles.
The Traffic System Of The New Macross Class
In the New Macross class, it was imperative that the traffic network expand to accompany the enlargement of the City Spaceship. However, as establishing restrictions on the possession of automobiles cannot be helped, means of transport were ensured by equipping the ship with a railway.
Caption: A railroad track being operated in the dome-shaped canopy. The Frontier Fleet's "Tube Liner" is this type of train.
Self-Supporting And Manufacturing Systems
Even though the Emigrant Fleets that sail at long distances from Earth might obtain resources from such things as asteroids, almost invariably, goods must be supplied from within the fleet. Because of that, the closed-cycle long-term residential system was developed, and such things as factory facilities and docks for the military vessels were set up in the Emigrant Ships.
Caption: An extremely advanced circulating environment is maintained in the 5th Generation model of Gigantic Emigrant Fleets. Using it, such things were carried out as agriculture, livestock farming and fisheries.
Self-Support And Manufacturing Systems Of The SDF-1 Macross
It is conceivable that the Macross, which had urban areas hurriedly developed within the ship, either didn't have self-supporting abilities or they were extremely limited. Closed-system circulation systems for long-term voyages were established from the Megaroad 01.
Caption: In light of having fought to the bitter end of the war with a low supply frequency, it was possible to operate the Macross without replenishment for periods of several months.
Self-Support And Manufacturing Systems Of The New Macross Class
The New Macross class, which had such things as a closed-system circulation system and diverse accompanying ships, had an extremely high production capacity for such things as food and industrial goods. It was possible to develop and manufacture new models of VFs in their factory facilities.
Caption: The VF-25 and VF-27, the latest models of VF in the closing-years of the 2050's, are aircraft that were developed and manufactured within the Emigrant Fleets.
The Isomorph Ships Of Each Emigrant Ship
There was also wariness toward Zentraadi Main Fleets in the "Mankind Seeding Plan", and a great number of Emigrant Ships were built within a short time. Because of that, in the Macross series of Emigrant ships, such as the Macross, the Megaroad class and the New Macross class, a lot of isomorph ships exist. However, because there were minor changes, although they are isomorph ships, such things as their outward appearance and facilities might be different.
Caption: The Macross Galaxy is a new model of Emigrant Ship from a different series of Emigrant Ships than the New Macross class. Such things as the City Spaceship and the accompanying warships have unique shapes.
SDF-1 Isomorph Ships
The SDFN series, which are SDF-1 isomorph ships, are military vessels that were constructed as Transit and Emigrant Ships developed as new model space battleships/cruisers that are able to fold. A total of 12 ships were built, such as the SDFN-01 General Hayase, and the SDFN-04 General Bruno J. Global. As such things as the engines and armaments were appropriated from medium-sized Zentraadi warships, the differences in each ship can be seen in the armaments. A total of 10,000 military and civilian personnel embarked on each ship.
Caption: The SDFN series also inherited the transformation. Revised ARMD class ships, which have the ability to fold by themselves, are attached to each sides of the SDFN.
Megaroad-01 Isomorph Ships
The Megaroad class are the main Emigrant Ships. The ship names are a number appended to the end of "Megaroad". Such ships as the 02, 03 and 13 are known as being the same ship model as the Megaroad-01.
Caption: The Megaroad class, which can accommodate a population larger than the SDFN series, was the core of the "Mankind Seeding Plan" until the New Macross class went into commission.
The New Macross Class And Its Series Of Variant Ships
The construction of the New Macross class and its series of ships rapidly advanced after the space launch of the No.1 ship in 2030. In 2040, the No.25 ship, Macross Frontier, departed. Such ships as the Macross 5, Macross 7, Macross 11, Macross 13, and the Macross Galaxy are known as possible ships of this series.
Caption: The Island Cluster class Macross Frontier is also an Emigrant Ship that is classified as a variant of the New Macross class.
Caption: The Macross 11 is a ship that interacted with the Frontier Fleet. Its distinctive feature are the City Spaceship's wing-shaped panels.
Caption: Such things as the living environment and urban systems in the SDF-1 Macross were not necessarily comfortable. They were greatly improved upon while developing such ships as the SDFN, Megaroad class, and the New Macross class. Environments that matched those in the cities of Earth were maintained.
The Ships That Accompanied The Emigrant Ship Had Diverse Functions
From around the time of the first Super Long Range Emigrant Fleet Megaroad-01, Emigrant Fleets were composed of a core ship, referred to as a "Macross warship", and several accompanying ships. At first, the ratio of battleships, which were vigilant for Zentraadi attacks, seemed high. Nevertheless, when the New Macross class were placed into commission, they came to be accompanied by ships weren't only ones that were directly connected to the fleet's activity, such as Factory Ships and Agriculture Ships, but were also ones like the Amusement Ships. This is carried even further in the 5th Generation Emigrant Fleets - which are composed of a great number of connected Environment Ships that form a closed-system circulation environment, and each Environment Ships is assigned diverse functions.
Caption: The Megaroad-01 departing Earth along with a great number of battleships. In the beginning, Zentraadi warships often accompanied the Emigrant Ships.
Caption: In the New Macross class, diverse large-scale accompanying ships also participated, such as the Research Experiment Ship and the Amusement Ship.
Non-Combat Accompanying Ships
A lot of types were seen in the New Macross class and its series of ships, such as the Macross 7 Fleet. In addition to the ones that were built for specific purposes, such as the Factory Ship and the Agriculture Ship, general-purpose models also exist, like the Frontier Fleet's Environment Ships. Many are large ships in the several thousand metre class.
Caption: The Environment Ships can also reproduce natural environments, which are difficult to do in the Macross ships. They are also likely to be used by Zentraadi who haven't been My-clonized.
Down: Factory Ship
A composite ship formed from such things as an industrial complex and factory groups. They are able to manufacture various industrial goods, from consumer electronics to VFs. The "Three Star" is representative of this type of ship.
Right: Amusement Ship
They have recreational facilities, such as theme parks and movie theatres. The Macross 7 Fleet's "Hollywood" also happens to function as an intelligence gathering ship.
Right: Environment Ship
The accompanying ships that are attached to the Macross Frontier Fleet. Several are in a series, and a closed-system circulation environment is formed by all parts of the fleet. The purpose of each ship's internal environment differs.
Accompanying Ships For Combat
In preparation for encounters with such things as the Zentraadi and hostile alien creatures, the Emigrant Fleets are accompanied by Unified Forces (later New Unified Forces) escort fleets. In general, such vessels as space carriers and stealth frigates do such things as patrols and combat.
Caption: Lines of defence are developed in the circumference of the fleet, and is prepared for emergencies. The ships are also committed to such things as observing the route forward of the fleet and investigating Emigrant and Resource Planets.
Right: Uraga
A Stealth Battle Carrier that has a two-step style flight deck. It is comparatively large as an escort, and can operate 65 to 75 ship-borne craft.
Right: Northampton class Stealth Frigate
They are the main warships of the New Macross class escort fleet. Due to their excellent stealthiness and acceleration, they are likely to be committed to special missions.
Right: Darufimu
A twin-hulled warship attached to the Macross Galaxy Fleet. After the fleet was attacked by the Vajra, the ship was protected by the Frontier Fleet.