I think the concept that a high-tech space ship capable of FTL travel is powered by burning coal is a very silly one. I propose that instead of ships being fueled by directly inputting fuel sources, they instead run on fuel cells (or power cells). The slots for putting in resources for the power control would be replaced with slots to put fuel cells in. As the ship traveled, it would drain the battery of the fuel cells. Fuel cells could be recharged through various devices that the player could find or craft, which would recharge it through various means. For instance, a solar charger would recharge it slowly over time during the day, with different rates based on the planet its used on, while a thermal charger would recharge the cell from the heat generated by burning materials such as wood or coal. Fuel cells could even have purposes outside providing travel. Large machines could use fuel cells to operate, players could use fuel cells to augment their energy, and they could be used in the game's wiring mechanics. Plus, players could craft upgraded versions of the fuel cells they start off with, with greater charge and whatnot.
I like the idea of cells, and might modify my mod a little bit to use something like this. But as it is, you can use my mod to create all sorts of fuels using dirt, plants, coal, uranium, or plutonium and a hefty bag of pixels. Check it out here: http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?resources/spacefuel-tamefoxx.8/
