Spaceplane

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Spaceplane
Original Name	空天飞机
Affiliation	Seven Color Stone Group; Great Hua Empire aerospace and Space Force programs; later civilian aerospace companies and the Earth Federation 351 437 613
Occupation / Role	Reusable atmospheric-to-space vehicle for cargo transport, orbital construction, reconnaissance, combat, rescue, exploration, and passenger travel
Status	Operational and mass-produced; nearly 3,000 spaceplanes are in service worldwide by the time of the first major space accident 463
First Appearance	Proposed for development 329

Documented Models and Variants

Model	Primary role	Documented specifications and features	Chapter
Overlord Spear-class	Military cargo spaceplane / space warplane	Initial outline: 50 m long, 27 m wingspan, 7 m high, 150-ton maximum takeoff weight, and 70-ton effective payload; armed with a 50,000-kilowatt laser cannon.	343
Overlord Spear-class	Orbital transport and military operations	Standard crew of two pilots; can carry up to eight astronauts. Used for satellite deployment, orbital recovery, space-station construction, lunar transport, and rescue operations.	395 397 423
Silver Courage-class	Passenger transport and space tourism	61 m long, 150-ton maximum takeoff weight, about 50-ton payload, and capacity for 50 passengers. Its passenger cabins include beds, photon computers, and individual windows.	414
Fire Dragon Spear-class	Dedicated Solar System space warplane	50.32 m long, 23.66 m wingspan, three-year endurance, 150 km/s maximum cruising speed, and 300 km/s maximum flight speed. It has a cockpit and a compact astronaut living module rather than a cargo bay.	437 438
Reed Spear-class	Civilian cargo spaceplane for public sale	Carries 50 tons of cargo and is sold for 50 billion. It uses batteries rather than a nuclear reactor, has 72-hour endurance, deploys solar panels in space, and reaches about 17 km/s.	449 450
Overlord Spear II	Enlarged cargo spaceplane	Planned around fourth-generation spaceplane engines to improve cargo capacity; later models are stated to be roughly 70–80 m long.	452 485
Silver Courage II	Long-range passenger transport	110 m long, 50.71 m wide, and 25.1 m at its widest point; designed to carry 150 passengers to Mars within 14 days.	485

Development and Operational History

Initial Development

Seven Color Stone Group chose to pursue spaceplane development after obtaining miniature nuclear reactors, high-power electric aerospace engines, aviation engines, and a space-air dual-mode electric ion detonation pulse engine. The project was expected to require tens of billions in investment, though its core technologies allowed the group to target a development period of roughly one year for a smaller model. 329 330

The Great Hua Empire had previously researched a return spaceplane for roughly ten years, but its project was merged into Seven Color Stone Group's program to avoid duplicated work. The government design could carry less than 10 tons to low Earth orbit and lacked deep-space capability, while the group's proposed design exceeded 70 tons of payload. 335 352

Overlord Spear Design and Construction

The group's first design was intended primarily for military use rather than civilian exploration or routine crewed flight. Its name was taken from one of the Great Hua Empire's ten famous spears, reflecting the developers' hope that it would alter the existing global balance of power. 342 343

Seven Color Stone Group retained responsibility for the airframe, control system, engines, materials, and energy system, while outside experts contributed life-support, electronic, detection, and related onboard systems. More than 90% of the structural materials, including the skin, were developed by the group itself. 351 364

A 10:1 model underwent hypersonic aerodynamic testing after the design became more slender and received variable-geometry wings. The wind-tunnel test met the required standards at both hypersonic and subsonic speeds, clearing the project to manufacture its first prototype. 364 365

Rollout and Unmanned Test Flight

The first engineering prototype rolled out in May after static-machine assembly and inspection work. It subsequently completed multiple ground taxiing tests, with its recorded performance exceeding design data. 377 380 382

During its first major unmanned spaceflight, the Overlord Spear reached Mach 6 in atmospheric testing, exceeded Mach 8 during ascent, and entered low Earth orbit at more than ten times the speed of sound. Its high-temperature skin and insulation endured thermospheric temperatures exceeding 1,000°C. 391

The flight also performed operational tasks rather than functioning solely as a test:

• Deployed dozens of satellites, ranging from under 100 kg to roughly 10 tons. 391
• Recovered a decommissioned Great Hua Empire satellite with a robotic arm. 391
• Changed orbit and proceeded toward geostationary orbit using its oxygen-free engine mode. 391
• Delivered a satellite and the core module of the South Heaven Gate space station before returning safely. 392

Crewed Flight and Lunar Operations

Chen Zhichao and Ren Hongying were selected as the first Overlord Spear test pilots. Their crewed flight launched on June 9 while carrying two space-station modules close to the craft's maximum payload capacity. 395 396

The two pilots entered orbit, connected both modules to the South Heaven Gate core module in geostationary orbit, secured their connection points with the spaceplane's robotic arm, and returned after a four-hour mission. The success led Seven Color Stone Group to order five additional Overlord Spear-class units, while the Space Force and Aerospace Department ordered 15 more. 397

Overlord Spear squadrons later supported the Moon Palace Program. During the lunar mission, four crewed spaceplanes accelerated to 20 km/s before shutting down their engines for safety during the approach to the Moon. 406 408

Mass Production and Civilian Expansion

Seven Color Stone Group initially planned for annual output of 30–50 spaceplanes after completing its first production line. The line was ready for large-scale production by late November, enabling the creation of specialized military, cargo, and passenger models. 384 437

Spaceplane travel expanded from military and construction use to tourism and private commerce. The Silver Courage-class became the dedicated passenger model, while the Reed Spear-class was introduced for civilian cargo operators. 414 449

By the first recorded major civilian space accident, there were nearly 3,000 spaceplanes worldwide, excluding approximately 1,000 operated by the Space Force. The accident was attributed to human error rather than a spaceplane malfunction. 463

Design

Early Seven Color Stone Group spaceplanes use a sharp triangular, streamlined layout intended to minimize drag during high-speed atmospheric flight. The Overlord Spear was presented with a black fuselage and no unnecessary exterior equipment; later physical descriptions depict it as dark gray and massive. 345 405

• The Overlord Spear's design evolved from a 50 m technical outline into a more slender 60 m configuration with adjustable wings reaching 52 m when fully extended and less than 30 m at their minimum angle. 343 364
• Its structural materials are designed to resist re-entry heat and impacts from micrometeoroids up to 10 cm in size without requiring excessively heavy skin plating. 364 367
• Civilian variants diverge from the original spear-like silhouette: the Reed Spear uses a blunt-triangle flying-wing layout, while the Silver Courage-class is long, slender, and silver-white. 414 449

Operational Capabilities

Atmospheric and Orbital Flight

Spaceplanes can take off from runways, enter and exit the atmosphere, operate in orbit, and return to Earth. Unlike rockets, they can abort a crewed ascent and return if an astronaut experiences a medical emergency or another problem. 350 396

• The Overlord Spear demonstrated supersonic flight at Mach 6 and entered low Earth orbit during its unmanned test mission. 391
• Its reduced wing angle minimizes drag at high speed, though large-angle turns that are viable during unmanned testing are unsuitable for human occupants. 391
• Crewed Overlord Spear flights can impose loads above 4G; mechanical exoskeleton spacesuits protect pilots during these conditions. 396
• Passenger-focused Silver Courage models limit acceleration to approximately 2G for ordinary travelers. 456

Cargo, Deployment, and Construction

The original Overlord Spear-class can transport more than 70 tons, allowing it to carry equipment comparable in mass to a Type 99 tank into space. 343

• Deploys satellites and space-station modules into orbit. 391 397
• Uses robotic arms to retrieve satellites, secure station modules, and capture disabled spacecraft. 391 397 423
• Supports Earth-orbit stations, Moon Base construction, and lunar transport missions. 384 406
• Can perform modified vertical takeoffs and landings only on bodies with gravity at or below one-sixth of Earth’s, such as Ceres; it cannot vertically lift off from Earth or Mars because of its size and mass. 493

Reconnaissance and Detection

The Overlord Spear combines stealth characteristics with high-speed flight, enabling reconnaissance and ground-attack missions from near-Earth orbit. Contemporary air-defense systems are described as unable to catch it once detected. 343

• Its radar has a documented detection range of 3,000 km while remaining compact enough for airborne installation. 362
• During test flight, its virtual-reality map produced real-time, three-dimensional terrain imagery and could zoom in far enough to read license plates. 390
• Its mobility in orbit makes it harder to target than satellites with fixed geostationary positions. 390

Combat and Rescue

The Overlord Spear was conceived as a military aircraft capable of orbital reconnaissance, ground attack, military transport, and orbital bombing. 342 343 414

• The initial weapon fit is a single 50,000-kilowatt laser cannon. 343
• The Fire Dragon Spear-class is a later dedicated combat model intended to operate across the Solar System rather than against terrestrial nations. 437
• An Overlord Spear successfully located and captured Elephant Country's damaged lunar spacecraft after contact was lost, matching speed before extending its robotic arm to seize the vessel. 423

Limitations

• Spaceplanes are extremely expensive to develop and manufacture; early estimates placed the cost of a single craft at least in the tens of billions. 329 330
• Their large size and high payload make them less agile than conventional fighter aircraft. 396
• Deep-space crewed operations require pilots because remote control becomes impractical beyond Earth orbit. 395
• Early Overlord Spear missions had primarily operated in low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit, leaving uncertainty over long-duration deep-space performance before the lunar program. 406
• The shortage of elite spaceplane pilots later prompted proposals to retrain air-force pilots and develop assisted exoskeleton spacesuits and training simulations. 464

Trivia

• The Overlord Spear name comes from one of the Great Hua Empire's ten famous spears. 343
• The original Overlord Spear was publicly mistaken for a strategic bomber before Seven Color Aerospace disclosed that it was a true spaceplane. 385
• The Reed Spear is also rendered as the “Reed Leaf” class in the bidding-conference account. 449 450