In the age of surface civilizations on planets,
the endurance of seafaring ships was usually measured in months at most.
The interstellar age was, of course, different from the age of surface civilizations.
From the very beginning of their design, spacecraft treated endurance as an important metric.
Thus, ordinary spacecraft could generally remain self-sufficient for at least a year.
But—
Subsequent research and practical experience showed
that supplies were not the only factor determining how long a ship could remain self-sufficient.
There were also psychological concerns.
Once a spacecraft's cargo capacity exceeded a certain limit,
it became a new constraint!
The total space aboard any spacecraft was always limited.
That space was often taken up by various important devices, cabins, supplies, and the like.
Naturally, the living space available to each crew member became increasingly limited.
And humans—
as a species, they could only remain in confined spaces for so long.
Especially when living conditions were restricted.
That made it all the more true.
During long voyages,
crew members often developed psychological problems.
In severe cases, they might not only take their own lives,
but also develop self-destructive tendencies that could put the entire ship at risk!
This was far less likely aboard warships.
After all, on warships manned by regular troops who had undergone formal training and had access to psychological support staff, the crew's mental resilience was far greater than that of ordinary people.
But even that had its limits.
There were ways to overcome them.
Suspension technology was one option.
But during wartime,
the process required a suspension period to be set in advance, followed by a gradual revival after some time had passed.
That made it less practical.
No one knew when they might encounter the enemy.
And emergency revival carried a significant chance of causing