| abstract | - The Asteroid Prospector AP-300 is designed to slowly comb through and extract mineable ore from asteroid fields. Designed for small to mid-sized operations, these vessels may operate in solitude or in conjunction with ore haulers and other craft for larger mining operations. This vessel was on the market a few weeks after the Battle of Yavin. For asteroids too large to haul in, the AP-300's laser cannon fire control crews coordinate their actions with the tractor beams to blast the target asteroid into smaller pieces, which are then collected. Metals and minerals are extracted from the asteroid, which are either stored onboard ship or transferred to ore haulers for immediate transport to refineries. The onboard refinery ensures that the extracted ore is at least 25% pure. Meanwhile, slag and other useless waste are ejected from the rear of the AP-300. Due to the hazardous nature of asteroid field mining operations, such as trapped explosive gasses in the asteroids, AP-300s boast medium weaponry, heavy hull plating, mighty shields and highly accurate sensors. Even with these advantages, a careless sensor operator may misread an asteroid which could cause significant damage to the vessel. It is up to the sensor operator to find those asteroids containing suitable quantities of ore. In some ways, the AP-300 represents a pirate's dream prize, as these ships can be found plying their trade alone in remote star systems.
|
