Escape Systems
Escape Systems
Imperial directives require every spacefaring vessel to include some form of emergency escape system. Operating licenses are denied to vessels that fail to meet these directives, but some ships slip through the bureaucratic net. In theory, each ship must have an escape system capable of handling every passenger on board. In practice, Imperial observers grant licenses if vessels have systems that can handle at least one-fourth of a ship's standard complement.
Ejection Seats
Small one- and two-man transport vehicles and starfighter-class vessels use a standard ejection seat escape system. The ejection seat system relies greatly on a passenger's use of a full environmental flight suit, and even then survival in deep space is unlikely without immediate rescue. Ideally, ejection systems work best when the craft is in a planet's atmospheric field. "Crash-worthy" seats contain built-in oxygen recirculators and heating elements that lower ejected seats to the ground.
Only crew members wearing environmental flight suits with their helmets sealed can hope to survive ejection into space. The seats generally contain a 29-hour oxygen recirculator and heating element, but even so, few pilots survive if they aren't picked up within a few hours.
Most survivable ejections occur outside ship hangars or in atmospheres near a base (when pilots "ditch" fighters that are too damaged to land safely, for example). In such cases, an antigrav unit powered by a Belanti repulsorlift engine lowers the seat onto the strongest nearby gravity source, whether it's a ship or planet surface.
Escape Pods
Larger vessels are equipped with emergency escape pods. Ranging from one or two in light freighters to several hundred stored in giant lifeboat bays aboard Star Destroyers, escape pods are basically emergency space capsules capable of limited flight and maneuverability. They are located at key positions in a ship's hull to provide quick access in case of an emergency.
Once loaded, an escape pod is released via explosive separator charges and pneumatically or ballistically propelled from the ship.
If the pod is used in deep space, the crew must point the pod in the general direction of the nearest occupied planet or space lane, fire the rockets, and hope that someone hears the distress beacon.
Though equipped to land on a planet, escape pods usually carry no repulsorlift engines. Instead, they rely on inflatable flotation devices, parachutes, and their directional rockets to land safely. Minimal fuel capacity allows only enough power for minute directional adjustments and some braking once in a planet's atmosphere.
Pods are stocked with limited amounts of emergency food and water rations (usually two to three weeks' worth), survival gear, flares, and medpacs.
Lifeboats
Larger escape pods, called "lifeboats," are also common among larger space vessels. These boats can carry from 10 to 50 people, depending on their size, and are actually small spaceships in their own right. They are better stocked than small pods and can support passengers for a longer duration. Some are equipped with sublight engines; a few even contain small hyperdrives.
Source: REUP:420