Text that didn't fit on Bluesky:
My design started out with me wondering what could an equivalent to the James Webb Space Telescope look like in the Elite Dangerous future. It's not yet possible to travel between galaxies there so I figured that giant telescopes would still have their place in research. It could potentially be useful for studying Thargoids' past.
It's a 9 km long self-sustainable, self-propelled station that features a giant 2.8 km mirror made out of 61 hexagonal segments.
The station can support over 10 000 people but it usually has a smaller population consisting of maintenance, administration, research and support staff.
It has a habitat ring measuring 4 km in diameter and 180 m in width, producing around 1 g. Its upper level is used for food production and greenery while living quarters with transportation are situated in the lower levels of the ring.
One special feature is its concourse, which is situated right in the middle of the mirror, in its blind spot created by the sensor structure. It's protected by a glass dome measuring 200 m in diameter to allow for unobstructed view of space. You can find all the important services like Vista Genomics in the lower level, a bar on the 2nd level and more seating area on the 3rd.
One could find these stations basically anywhere in the galaxy. Often quite far from the Bubble. They can serve as safe havens for explorers. Quite a bit like DSSA carriers.
