A Historical Background
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, humanity began a new push to the stars headed by the United Earth for Peace initiative. With the completion of the Davis-Gates rail gun, the private sector was able to enter the space race at a fraction of the cost of launching stuff into space via the space shuttle. When Davis published his plans for his rail gun on the Internet, it began a new kind of space race. Suddenly third world countries could have a space program, and launch their own small satellites cheaply.
Many major corporations built their own rail guns to launch a plethora of communication satellites into space. This in turn revolutionized the communication industry. True wireless Internet service became a reality. The major governments of the world were powerless to slow or even stop the scientific advancements being made almost daily, and their space programs seemed to lag behind the rest of the world. Gas prices reach the $5.00 a gallon mark in the United States. The American people revolted when it was discovered that the gas prices had been artificially inflated during the last twenty years. It was the petrol-chemical companies attempt to regain their losses from the middle-eastern war. This began the energy revolution that finally ended the electrical power and petrol-chemical companies' choke hold on the people of the world. The floodgate of suppressed knowledge was opened, and a new era of prosperity and scientific advancement for the world began. The first personal spacecraft was launched on May 12, 2028. It was to be the first solar-sail powered spacecraft ever launched. It was both a success and a failure. It proved that it was possible to sail the winds of space, but on re-entry the heat shield failed on the spacecraft killing everyone onboard. It was not the last solar-sailboat. The major governments in an effort not to be left out of the new space race released the technologies they had been suppressing for over fifty years. They partnered with the company that started the United Earth for Peace movement, and began planning to build the largest spacecraft ever to be built. Three years later on June 21, 2031, construction began on the Galactic Enterprise. The year is now 2032 and we are just slightly behind schedule. Despite funding problems construction continues around the clock. We have passed the fifty-percent completion mark for all levels of the ship. Our old computer needs to be replaced. The command and communication sections worked so well that scaled down models are being built by both government and corporate entities. These space stations, all three of them, have been dubbed Star Bases. No one seemed to mind, so the title has stuck. The Star Bases' construction has progressed more rapidly than our own thanks to the Russian's heavy lift rockets, and a lot better funding. Despite some really massive rail guns, the Russian heavy lift rockets can still deliver heavier payloads than any rail gun could hope to fire into space. Russia, in a bold move, built an orbital platform, the Gagarin Spaceport, in an effort to be the first nation to build a city on the moon. Cost overruns on the spaceport opened the Russians to the idea of inviting the rest world to be a full partner in their endeavor. The Gagarin Spaceport is now a collection point for materials being ferried out to the Moon. The spaceport has always been a big help to us, and there are rumors that they may get the Mars mission contract in the near future. The past is behind us, and the future never looked so bright. The world despite its many problems is enjoying a prosperity never known before. Some seeking a better life have fled their home world seeking a new life in space. I wish them well. We have begun to take our first real steps into space, and the adventure is just beginning...
Sadly, it is too late to catch the maiden voyage of the Galactic Enterprise. But, you can read about their adventures in the abridged version of the ship’s log book, here.
