Space Exploration Conference

[Thadeus Laing]

AGENDA:

- Project Goals
- International cooperation and joint efforts
- Securing funding
- Technological and scientific innovations

This Conference shall be moderated by me, however Yardistani and
Musican authorities shall have much sway over the outcomes here,
at least until we start partnering with other nations, after which they
will have some say, naturally, as they will be contributing to the project
as well. This is just an attempt to formulate some guidelines and
specifics.

This Conference begins now. Anyone in Shireroth or Bastion who is
interested in space travel, as a nation or as an individual, is invited
to attend and participate in this thread.

[Verion]

I would be interested in a program to build a Death Star.

[Tokaray al-Osman]

Countdown to pointless gratuitous mention of the Safir that no-one gives a shit about will now commence.

[Rei Milharna]

Nope. The apes can make their own way to civilization.

[Vilhelm Benkern]

Thank you for convening this conference, Mr Melang, the Ducal government is fully supportive of it.

[Kaiser Mo'll I]

An ancestor of mine was known to dabble.

Alas... since being looted from the ruins of the rocket base turned penal colony/radioactive wasteland on the isle of Mediguttula, the more technical information has been classified by Goldshirian authorities for purposes of Ducal security. I'll leave it to the MoMA's strategic judgement as to what, if anything, he wishes to reveal of his own Ministry's knowledge of the technology.

[Vilhelm Benkern]

We should definitely give ample time to air ideas about civilian and commercial space exploration, running in parallel with or even leading military technology.

[Verion]

I am interested in this (seriously) and would like to participate in future space explorational endeavours.

[Raz]

It should be noted that the Holy Empire of Jingdao also has a space programme. We will participate.

[The Incarnates]

A chance for the Garden to spread to the stars! Propulsion technology is not our area of expertise, but we would be delighted to aid in the development of closed-ecosystem life support for extended missions.

[Rei Milharna]

Actually, no, I will jump in here. As for the matter of propulsion technology, Þavalt Shipyards are willing to open sales of their 800-series faster-than-light drives to Shirithian imperial military forces and space programmes.

[Thadeus Laing]

REGARDING MILITARISTIC PROJECTS

I think I should make a statement as of this moment: this conference and its
endorsed projects will be only of a non-militaristic nature. However, the following
concepts will be allowed between military projects being undertaken outside
of the auspices of this conference and projects within its auspices: "technology
transfer" (limited to the exchange of ideas and plans, and not raw materials or finished
hardware) and "scientific and/or technical assistance."

I. PROJECT STAGE


I propose a manned flight to Tarsica (overall Est. Cost 10,000 Erb) to
determine independently the atmosphere and composition of our moon. This
will be accomplished by taking a drill sample and by conducting a series of
atmospheric tests. A temporary base will be constructed which will have
supplies for nearly one month of habitation and research. A team
of five astronauts will be present on the ground during this time; two in a command
module orbiting Tarsica. Part of the command module will be separable and upon
return to Micras this part will remain orbiting around Tarsica as a small space station,
a waypoint for a future mission to construct a second base. Yardistan will be
responsible for the lunar base. Jingdaoese assistance for the rocket propulsion unit
and command module would be ideal, given their intellectual knowledge in that
area, particularly in propulsion technology. Assistance from the Incarnates in regards
to the orbiting space station would be a way for them to expand their research into
closed-ecosystem life support systems.

Please comment or submit your own proposed projects below.

[Rei Milharna]

I also propose Safiro-Shirithian missions of colonization to Indigo, Momiji &etc., MCS be damned.

[Kaiser Mo'll I]

As a Lunatic, I have reservations about contributing to the manned exploration of Tarsica. In my homeland, the presence of humans on Tarsica is considered a desecration of a holy object

[Rei Milharna]

Welp, your people have already been there.

[Thadeus Laing]

As a Lunatic, I have reservations about contributing to the manned exploration of Tarsica. In my homeland, the presence of humans on Tarsica is considered a desecration of a holy object

Your Imperial Excellency, this opinion is noted. Thank you. It is better
that we have all reservations out in the open than not, and especially
reservations from the most important figure in Shireroth and potentially
our biggest financial and political patron.

I am sure that you have become aware that at this point some nations
within your have undergone equivalents to "the Enlightenment" and a
"Scientific Revolution." Such nations have a strong motivation to learn
more about the universe and humanity's place within it. Thus it would
not surprise me if such nations, Yardistan included, proceed without
your endorsement on a project to land on Tarsica. This is to say nothing
of nations outside of Shireroth, such as Batavia. However we would be
considerate of Your Excellency, and your sentiments on this matter, for
we respect greatly the wise and powerful Kaiser of Shireroth. Therefore,
if Yardistan assists in an effort to put a man on Tarsica, perhaps even one
of its own residents, we hereby assure you in advance that it will be done
with the utmost care and respect for Tarsica, and not disturb the
environment there or leave "space trash" in orbit around the moon, and that
we will encourage other participants in this conference to do the same.
In short, we may touch Tarsica but we will not tarnish Tarsica.

With regards to the proposals by Rei Milharna: these proposals
are noted. Safiria is not of interest to the majority of participants
at this time it seems, nor its associated planets listed by Ms Milharna.
However, if such locations do become of interest to the majority
of participants, full and proper investigation will be given to projects
relating to them. Certainl,y the technology deployed to visit Tarsica
could be re-appropriated in the future for future projects to visit other
places in the solar system, the galaxy which contain Micras, as well
as planets associated with, for example, the Safir people. The MCS
still has respect in my eyes--to speak for myself--but if a majority
wish not to follow the MCS, we could then look at alternatives to the
MCS.

Moving right along: speaking to anyone else, are there any other
proposed projects that we, as gathered nations, companies, and
individuals can mobilize our know how and expertise to pursue,
with regards to space--the "final frontier" beyond Micras? The proposal
that I have made already includes lots of subprojects and is in
itself a massive undertaking, an "International Space Station" level
of international cooperation. But perhaps we can do even more.
Does Micras have fellow planets within its own solar system, a
"Mars" that it could plan to visit some day? Do we need a "Voyager"
type probe to visit all the planets in our system and taken pictures
of them? You can submit such projects below. And, OOC, it is becoming
clear, that these projects will involve graphic design, and that persons
doing the design should receive a good and reasonable amount of payment,
and this will constitute the bulk of the "expense" of the project.

[Rei Milharna]

Does Micras have fellow planets within its own solar system, a "Mars" that it could plan to visit some day? Do we need a "Voyager" type probe to visit all the planets in our system and taken pictures of them?

Yes; they're called Indigo and Momiji. No, full maps already exist — they are known to be Micraslike and thus need to be colonized.

[Mira Octavius-Aryani]

You mean these?

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/5981/indigom.png

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/9564/momijib.gif

[Aryeztur]

It is odd two habitable planets exist within striking distance and are yet uninhabited.

[Mira Octavius-Aryani]

Maybe Indigo, Micras, and Momiji orbit in a particular type of resonance that left Indigo and Momiji on one side of the sun and Micras on the other side... when a fractured asteroid ignited mass extinctions on the two planets.