Murdok Starport

Also called Murdok Highport.

This is the part of the Murdok Port Complex that exists outside of Murdok's atmosphere and serves as the terminus for the Space Elevator. It is a relatively small space station that has a number of docking areas for spacecraft of various sizes: from the big freighters that retrieve the copper (copper donkeys) to smaller craft, such as pinnaces, yachts and personnel transport ships.

The Starport has quarantine facilities, a bar, a canteen and bunkhouse, some medical facilities, as well as security and admin offices, but not much in terms of entertainment.

The star port can receive large cargo ships as well as smaller vessels like pinnaces. Artificial gravity is created by specialized gravity plating, as well as the centrifugal force provided by its geostationary orbit. Together these forces give the station a nice 1G rating.

Roughly 15 people staff the station at any given time. They serve in shifts, exchanging a week's duty at the station for two weeks down on the surface. There are always at least five are guards. The others perform different station functions.

There are 20 bunks for sleeping, and relies on pre-made meals that ship upchain. Outside of drinking in the bar, the only entertainment on the station is what the staff can come up with in the dining hall.

When people come upchain via the elevator or shuttle, they must go through decontamination, as does crew from any arriving ship. The intensity of the decontamination protocol is adjusted based on the departure location of the traveler.

For those wishing to go planet-side, there is an immigrations desk on the station. Crew of ships arriving at Murdok typically don’t travel downchain down unless there is a special reason for them to do so. They may stay on the station for a few hours only before leaving again. If they have to wait for cargo loading or unloading they may prefer to wait on their ship. Incoming personnel destined for Murdok must go through immigration and be searched before boarding the elevator or a shuttle to the planet.

All of the cargo comes via shipping container, some of which require an atmosphere while others do not. All of it remains outside of the station, with the containers that require atmosphere receiving it via large umbilical tubes that extend from the station. Two cranes operated by station personnel transfer cargo between the elevators, the station, and docked ships. There are 4 docking platforms for large ships.