Locking an old spaceship from the outside?

Question

I know it may be a bit of a silly question and not really something of great importance to a story, but how would you secure a spaceship when you leave?

For example; when the Millennium Falcon lands on a planet (not in a hangar bay or anywhere secure but just "in the middle of a forest/desert/wherever") and Han and Chewie exit to explore the planet (leaving the ship unmanned), how would they lock the Falcon to ensure no one could steal it?

The nature of a "best answer" would have to fall into the following constraints:

• The ship would be parked somewhere in the open without security/guards/fences - so couldn't be left unlocked/open and would therefore need to be secured completely.

• The ship is old, so before a sophisticated AI system would be installed (although the ship is old, it does have an onboard computer system for navigation etc., but much more in the style of the Millennium Falcon - so you can't physically talk to it/doesn't respond to voice commands).

• Would need to be fool-proof enough so that the crew using the ship could gain access (if all the crew had exited the ship and "locked" it) - this would eliminate keys/remotes because if half of the group are captured/lost and have the key/remote, the other half will be effectively locked out of the ship. Also during battle a key/remote could be lost or damaged. It also wouldn't be practical to hand out 10 keys/remotes to all crew members.

• It would need to be something that could be accessed by anyone in the crew but not necessarily by a stranger (so not just a big red button that locks/unlocks from the outside)

• If a control panel on the exterior (or something similar) - what type of power source would it need in order to open/close a ship that is basically turned off/powered down/unmanned? As mentioned above AI wouldn't be able to assist, would there be auxiliary power to lock/unlock the door (would that be mechanically possible?).

• Could facial/retina/voice recognition or biometrics work in a Millennium Falcon-type ship for locking/unlocking or is that too sophisticated considering the absence of a "talking AI" and only a primitive onboard computer?

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Sorry, I'm new here, so apologies if I'm asking the "wrong type of question" if so any help on where I can ask this question would be greatly appreciated :)

Answer 1

Get a lockbox.

These things are sturdy and not something you could break open with a hammer. You have better tech than modern-day Earth though, so you can use even stronger materials. Something that a circular saw couldn't cut.

While this box only has about 1000 possible combinations, you could easily make one with more. You can also make it any size you need.

This way, no one can lose the key. They just have to remember the combination (and not leak it to anyone else). I'd put up several boxes so, if someone uses it to get in the ship and forgets to put the key back in the box, you're good.

These things are 100% mechanical too. No electronics to break down or run out of power.

Or get a door lock that takes codes directly.

This requires adding in some electronics. This one has different codes for up to 100 users. Why? So you can delete individual codes that have been leaked, or for people who have died or deserted.

With some systems, it will tell you which code was used to enter at a certain time. So if there is a break in, you can pinpoint which person is responsible (either because they gave away the code or because it was an inside job).

Your power source on the electronic locks is a battery. No reason in the world they wouldn't last a good 10 years, like the battery on my smoke detector or a quality watch. Or make it a rechargeable battery. The act of pushing keys or turning the doorknob could recharge it. Or a solar panel. It wouldn't need very much since it's a tiny bit of power and it's not used all that often. I think we can assume that batteries and chargers would be more sophisticated in a time that had spaceships like these.

Have locks on more than one level.

Put a lock on the outside door. Then one for the cockpit. Then another for the ignition. You might have a break-in now and again, but they won't be able to steal the ship.

Answer 2

AI controlled face, body and voice authentication.

It can't be fooled because you need all 3. If you show up after a night out weighing 10kg more, the ship is going to ask you to explain where you have been.

But what if a shapeshifter wants in?

The ship AI can detect your behavior, facial expressions, etc. And can ask you personal questions from your personal logs to verify that it is you. If you talk about your mothers maiden name often, it knows what to ask.

What what if you are held hostage? No problem, the AI can see you clearly held hostage, and can decide if allowing itself to be stolen would save you.

Have a whole crew? No problem, the ship can remember you all.

Sending a guest back to the ship to grab some drinks? No problem, scan your guest and email it to the ship. The AI will grant 1 time access to the ship.

Warning: Do not make HAL the ship angry.

Answer 3

Cars boats and airplanes all use ignition keys. I do not see why any private vehicle would not use one. On top of simply providing security, the ignition key prevents accidental activation. A spaceship similar to a plane must be a death machine behind the engines, and using an ignition key is a must with the key only being inserted after the craft is clear.

Now we have the outside door. I am going to stick to something like the Millennium Falcon in size. Here the doors would probably lock in a similar way that doors lock in your setting. There may be NFC voice recognition or the like. I am guessing that there is nothing like internet based locks as you may not get good reception on a random planet. But most likely there is also a manual key as well. This key would operate the door even if there is a complete power failure and open a backup mechanical lock. This may not be the main bay door for loading cargo, but it must be there somewhere.

The main cargo door if it requires power to operate may need to be open from the inside once the system is online, or may again use a remote or voice recognition.

Answer 4

Just a DNA key. You have a personal space ship, having a rapid DNA check shouldnt be too hard with that kind of tech laying around.

You can have the ship simply allow access through biometrics and a personal tracker (voice, smell, the way you normally move, build of body, pictures of your retina from a distance etc). This way you can enter and exit at will without having to authenticate every time you enter. Should the ship afterwards notice the biometrics have been fooled when it tests your DNA from the cells and particles you release every moment (or get suspicious because suddenly you dont) it can always lock you inside and alert the authorities or nearesr friendly group of thugs in case you are an outlaw.

Just for clarity: we arent talking AI here, but something like we have in our phones that can recognize your face and unlock itself, only with more biometrics applied. Should later more accurate tests come back negative a whole backup system of checks and balances tries to verify who you are and in any event there is no satisfying answer the ship will lock you up or worst-case try to boot you out.

Answer 5

This is not a silly question at all. My players (I'm a Traveller referee) have asked the question at various times, although it's never become a serious issue. In other words, the game hasn't required them to break into and/or secure a starship.

So, we postulated a kind of identity-recognition system in the ship's computer, which uses a combination of biological factors (your DNA, retinae, respiration, metrics) and psychological factors (your walk, gestures, voice, and manner of responses to simulated computer intelligence), and that while not foolproof, it is secure.

There are two reasons for this. First and most important, the players own a ship, and they need a place where they can reasonably feel secure or "at home". The other reason is to prevent them from becoming pathological grand theft starship criminals.

Answer 6

The old locking spaceship conundrum. Here we go.

• It would be easy and cheap to hand out keyfobs, keycards, RFID microchip implants, etc. to each member of the crew. The shipboard access control system could easily have an independent power supply lasting years, like a small nuclear reactor (about 20 lbs) providing power only to access systems.

• Give everyone regular metal keys, and have a small compartment
  mounted on the ship by the airlock or other entry port. The lock
  would be recessed in the covered compartment to protect it from dust, blaster fire, bubblegum, bird poop, etc. Open the cover, put your
  key in the lock, turn it the super secret sequence, and you're in.

• Another mechanical lock could be a device operable by one finger.
  The aspiring entrant puts his finger in the device, then manipulates the control surfaces in a particular combination to unlock the ship. If he fails or makes a mistake, the device severs his finger.

• Biometrics would absolutely work. DNA scan, retina scan, fingerprint scan, yes this would serve well.

• Each portal could have an access plate for RFID implants/cards, OR an unsuspecting hull plate nearby could conceal the RFID reader.

EDIT:

In the event that the ship is totally without power, such the solar flare contingency that another poster mentioned, what about this:

Bring a battery to operate the access control system.

If the electronic systems themselves were wrecked by solar flare, what about this:

An unobtrusive compartment (with a puzzle lock) near the airlock holds a large combination lock, like one on a safe. This combination lock has several pins which must be removed before it can turn. When the combination lock is opened it allows a retaining bolt to be withdrawn from a large bar which is locking the airlock mechanism. The person seeking entry would then remove the retaining bolt, draw out the large bar, and then go to the airlock and open it with its normal mechanical mechanism.

Summary:

1. Open the exterior hull compartment near the airlock.

2. Remove the pins keeping the combination lock from turning.

3. Open the combination lock.
4. Remove the retaining bolt from the large bar holding the airlock mechanism in place.
5. Remove the large bar, freeing the airlock mechanism to operate normally.
6. Open the airlock normally with its manual mechanical controls.

The important thing here is that all of these parts can be disguised. The combination lock, its retaining pins, all of it, can be hidden or made to look like other equipment. Intruders wouldn't even know what to look for. They would try the seemingly unlocked airlock and it wouldn't open. Then they would have to know about the puzzle-locked compartment. If they force the puzzle-locked compartment, then they would have to know what to look for and what combination to use. Then they'd have to know what the combination lock is even for. You get the idea.

Or, you could just have a cool telepathic alien animal that looks like a talking cat guard the ship (I'm looking at YOU, Honor Harrington.)

Answer 7

Handprint (or faceprint) recognition is pretty easy to set up using an array of analog switches and one of these . The resolution can be increased easily by adding more sensors. It's easy to imagine one of these with pretty high accuracy. And it's a pretty unique technological item for your world

Answer 8

The safest way to secure a ship is to not land it on the planet. It could have several shuttles that are able to withstand atmospheric entry. Conversely, the main ship would be restricted to space - but then it could be much lighter.

The shuttles land basically anywhere, drop off the crew and leave. The ship then sends shuttles periodically to some pre-programmed remote rendezvous points that are hard to discover accidentally (like a particular spot in the middle of a desert) until a crewman is recovered. Anyone who boards the shuttle is considered a crewman, but if the shuttle's trajectory is hard to track (say, it enters the atmosphere at below-hypersonic speeds, travels by randomized paths, and has a very low radar cross-section), it shouldn't be a problem.