YT-1000 light freighter
The YT-1000 transport, alternatively referred to as the YT-1000 freighter, represented a starship design intended for interstellar transport of both passengers and goods. Its design featured a circular hull, distinguished by an external cockpit nestled between a pair of rectangular protrusions. By 14 BBY, the YT-1000 was already considered an older model, having been in operation for over a century.
Attributes
The YT-1000 freighter presented as a starship with a saucer-like shape, characterized by a centrally positioned, forward-facing cockpit flanked by a set of mandibles. The cockpit incorporated expansive transparisteel windows, which were adapted from the cockpit canopies of Barloz-class freighter models. Measuring 28 meters in length, the freighter required a crew of two for operation. It possessed the capacity to sustain its crew for two months and could achieve velocities of 740 kilometers per hour. In its standard configuration, the YT-1000 included sublight engines, a navigation computer, a sensor array, a primary Class 3 hyperdrive, and a backup Class 16 hyperdrive. Its armament consisted of a standard laser cannon. The cost for a new YT-1000 was 85,000 credits, while pre-owned models were valued at 20,000.
Functionality
The YT-1000 served a dual purpose, functioning as both a freighter and a transport vessel. It could accommodate up to four passengers and had a cargo-carrying capability of 75 metric tons.
Historical Context
Genesis
The Corellian Engineering Corporation conceived the YT-1000 freighter as an innovative deviation from their YG series and as a potential successor to the aging Barloz-class freighter. The design drew inspiration from the venerable XS stock light freighter. Consequently, the YT-1000 was engineered with a saucer-shaped hull and a cockpit positioned centrally on top.
CEC launched the YT-1000 as a production run of limited quantity, which garnered a largely favorable reception. Market research revealed that consumers were fond of the YT-1000's design, but expressed a willingness to invest more in a larger, more adaptable vessel.
Subsequent Influence
The YT-1000 freighter was followed by the YT-1200 transport and the YT-1210 transport. While neither of these ships represented a significant technological leap beyond the YT-1000, they did introduce the side-mounted cockpit design that would become a hallmark of later YT-series freighters.
During the Age of the Empire in 14 BBY, a YT-1000 freighter known as the Reticent fell into the hands of Imperial Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Darth Vader. The Reticent, already at least a century old, was the property of a Koorivar captain who had acquired it in 17 BBY from an information dealer named Knotts.
Behind the Curtains
Within the established Star Wars canon, the YT-1000 made its debut in the 2014 novel Tarkin by James Luceno. The freighter first appeared in the Star Wars Legends timeline in Gamemaster Toolkit: Live-Action Adventures, a gamebook released by West End Games in 1996.