The Cruiser's thrust system is the only fuel-powered subsystem on the ship and runs on liquid hydrogen, not electricity — hydrogen comes from crystals gathered on the islands or from a passive siphon, and it has to be kept cold or it evaporates.
On this page
Where the hydrogen comes from
Hydrogen is sourced from Hydrogen Crystals that are gathered from the floating islands of Tycos with a Cargo Wasp and refined aboard the Cruiser in a built-in Hydrogen Refinery. It can also be siphoned passively from the atmosphere with a Hydrogen Siphon, but the siphon itself draws Power Units, so passive intake competes with the rest of the Cruiser's PU budget.
How it has to be stored
Refined hydrogen is stored in fuel tanks that must be kept below −253 °C (−423 °F) or the fuel evaporates. The whole fuel loop is sensitive: cooling depends on having surplus power, so a low-PU state will cost you hydrogen as well.
Why this ties back to power and piloting
The thrust system is the only system that does not draw PU, but everything that protects it does — the cooling loop, the refactors, and the siphon are all on the power grid, which is why a balanced load-out matters for flight range as much as for endurance. See the Cloud Cruiser power setup page for the PU math behind the cooling budget.
Flight-time habits that save hydrogen
On longer journeys the practical habit is to fly slower in storms to conserve fuel (higher speed burns more hydrogen) and to keep enough balloons on the Cruiser so that sudden weather changes do not push it past its lift ceiling — see the weather flying page for how to plan around storms and jet streams.
FAQ
What powers the Cloud Cruiser?
The Cloud Cruiser is mostly powered by a compact onboard nuclear reactor that produces about 25 Power Units per second. Every system except thrust draws PU, so balancing production against consumption is a core operating concern.
Does weather change how Wasps and the Cloud Cruiser fly?
Yes. Weather in ATMOSFAR includes day and night cycles, jet streams, thunderstorms, fog, hurricanes, and a buzzing electrical disturbance that can ground Wasps. Pilots are expected to plan around storms because higher speed burns more hydrogen.