CONCEPT

Category 6 Galactic Traveler Olaf Stapledon is a large scoutship from a far future era where Humans are working together with other sentient species to explore the galaxy. In this fictional universe, the advanced starships and star-faring habitats directed by sentient computers and populated with multi-sentient species crews are members of Galactic Travelers, a loosely organized mutual aid society and collective security pact. Galactic Travelers star-faring technology borders on the fantastic with capabilities akin to those displayed by The Culture in the science fiction of Iain M. Banks. The Olaf Stapledon is crewed by Human and T'lar families, a handful of Cyberenthi, and is run by a sentient computer. Its home base is the Category 8 Galactic Traveler Radiant Dawn. This vessel is named for after one of my favorite science fiction authors, Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950). His visionary novels "Last and First Men" (1931) and "Star Maker" (1937) deeply influenced my own visions of our future here on Earth and out deep into space in the ages yet to come.

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Modeling - Rhino 4 and TrueSpace 6.6
Rendering - Flamingo 1.1 and TrueSpace 6.6
Textures - Renfield Textures
Backgrounds - Custom Photoshop brushes and Hubble Space Telescope website
Running Lights - Universe Image Creator
Miscellaneous - CorelDRAW, Corel Photo-Paint and Adobe Photoshop
Alien Registration Markings - Based on a font created by Michael Mobes

PRIMARY DESIGN INFLUENCES

1. Jupiter 2 from the "Lost in Space" science fiction film from the late 1990's.

2. Advance Exploration Corps Scoutship Dark Star from 1974 science fiction movie "Dark Star."

3. TraVela Series Interstellar Excursion Yacht by fellow speculative spaceship designer Jeff Robb.