Colonisation

Introduction

Humans nature for exploration and colonisation has been shown throughout history. From colonising the Americas and Australia to the first permanent space stations, the moon and Mars. With the advent of interstellar flight colonisation has again raised it's head.

Early Years

Initial colonisation and off-Earth living happened within our own Solar System. Permanent bases were set up on the Moon and Mars. These bases were originally scientific and research centres. mainly used to test new equipment and try out new skills.

They had no permanent staff and were kept resupplied from Earth. Apart from a few missed supply drops nothing untoward happened with these bases.

The next permanently manned bases were space stations based in the Asteroid fields and around Jupiter and her moons. These stations were mostly research and engineering bases. These stations also had no permanent staff and were again resupplied from Earth.

Over time both bases on Mars and the Moon have expanded. Tranquility station, or as it is more commonly known as Moon Base Alpha, after the famous TV program 'Space 1999', has attained almost 60% self-sufficiency. The first Mars base 'Romulus' has expanded and has largely become self-sufficient with water being supplied from asteroid mining in the belt and underground source water. And the second Mars Base 'Remus' was also gaining in size and popularity.

A variety of Space Stations have been launched and built in space. The 800m Diameter wheel of RSF Gatekeeper positioned between Mars and the asteroid belt is one of the biggest providing security and rescue services to the asteroid belt workers. RSF Gatekeeper also has a civilian recreational area where the workers can relax.

Extra-Solar Colonies

Once the first humans reached Proxima Centauri it was obvious that a permanent settlement would be established. By 2070 the Proxima Centauri Dome was completed. It was the largest unsupported construction at the time, measuring 56km in diameter and just under 1km in height. The dome was nano-constructed on-site using the planets own resources. A second and third domes are due to be constructed over the coming years.

The Tau Ceti colony project caused uproar when it was first suggested to build there. People wanted to know how we could interfere with another planets development just to satisfy our own needs. In the end a large Stanford torus station was transported to the planet with only small research teams based on planet. Known as Eve station it is stocked with flora and fauna from Eden.

Later Years

Once British Interstellar released designs for the Crossover drive various manufactures built large, interstellar tugs capable of towing completed stations and colony pods to faraway stars. A new era of expansion started to take place. It was no longer the realm of large, well off countries and corporations, Small conglomerates, syndicates and multimillionaires were able to charter a craft capable of pulling the largest of stations just about anywhere. Some knew where they were going. Others just headed out and hoped for the best. Many religious groups headed out in search of their god. Others to find that one thing that will make them rich.

This expansion was not without their problems. Many had to be rescued after their supplies dried up. Mechanical failures and ill prepared ideas has lead to the loss of many colony craft. And many others fell foul of indigenous predators or disease.

Commonwealth Colony Missions

Commonwealth colony missions are carried out by Commonwealth commands.

  • Survey Command is responsible for surveying and exploring extra-solar planetary systems. Suitable planets are identified and flagged for further survey. Any that are deemed suitable for colonisation or require further research and exploration are noted and passed on to Colony Command or Research command respectively. Survey Command has its own dedicated fleet of starcraft that are constantly moving to unvisited star systems. Rumour has it that Survey Command also manages much of the Commonwealths Intelligence and spying activities. These rumours are vehemently denied by Survey Command.
  • Research Command has the role of further examination of alien artifacts and unusual anomalies. Planets identified are placed off-limits to private settlements. A side line of Research command is intelligence gathering off world. MI9 come under Research Command.
  • Colony Command is the Commonwealths official crown dependencies organisation. Organising and funding settlement programs as required and arranging further support as required.Each new settlement funded by the Commonwealth is classed as a Commonwealth Extra-Solar Territory. These colonies are treated in the same manner as the old British overseas territories.

Mars Terraforming

The latest effort is to bring an habitable atmosphere to Mars. This is to be completed using imported asteroids from the Kuiper belt and either breaking them up and dropping the minerals to the surface, or deliberately burning them up in the atmosphere releasing trapped internal gases. Greenhouse gases are deliberately dropped to encourage the global temperature to increase.

Large scale orbital mirrors are also used to shield the planet from radiation and to create an artificial magnetic field.

Within the next 50 years it is hoped that the first human will be able to stand and breath on the Martian surface.

 Type 26 Colony Pod

This is the standard colony pod used in the late 2100's. It is used by Commonwealth colony missions.

Built around a 900m diameter Sentinel wheel station with a top and bottom end cap fitted for transport. The whole set-up is over 2.5km in length. Both end caps are filled with stores and supplies to aid with the colony. The station provides initial back-up and living accommodation until the base is full established.

Once deployed in to orbit the two end caps are removed and connected together forming the orbital cargo drydock.

Standard Contents

  • 1 x Sentinel Station with full equipment compliment.
  • 2 x Colony settlements.
  • 2 x Medical facilities.
  • 4 x Portable laboratories
  • Seed bank storage facility
  • Zoological storage facility
  • Noah's Ark genetic sample bank
  • DNA cloning facility
  • 1 x Large Nano factory - stays in orbit
  • 16 x Medium Nano factories.
  • 36 x Small and portable Nano factories.
  • Modular Construction equipment package as required.
  • 2 x Fusion reactors.
  • 36 x Micro Fusion reactors.
  • Hibernation pods for settlers - varies but usually around 10000 souls.
  • 20000 TEU container capacity
    • These containers are used for personal effects, storage, and military battleboxes, etc.
Deployment

On arrival at the destination the Station CNS confirms suitability. Once the CNS is satisfied the following procedure is carried out;

  • Tug crew woken by their Scraft CNS.
  • Pod placed in to stable orbit.
  • Primary Command team woken.
  • Deploy team woken. 
  • Lower cap released to drift behind the station and held by orbital tugs.
  • Once the station is clear the station is released.
  • Station placed into required orbit by orbital tugs.
  • Top cap is grabbed by orbital tugs and manoeuvred back to the lower cap.
  • Caps connected together.
  • Cap section is connected back to the stations ventral connection socket. (if required).
  • Tow cables released.

The station and pod are now in position and the station is able to run through its own start up procedures.

At this point the station crew are woken whilst primary reconnaissance takes place. The various other personnel are woken as and when they are required.

The tug may stay on station to assist deployment and to return with the first cargo of exports or it may return at its earliest opportunity.

Station Types

A variety of station designs are used by the Commonwealth and other countries.

Modular

These are the earliest styles of space station. made from modules that have been shipped in to orbit. The primary example of a modular station is the original ISS. The advantage of modular space stations is that they can be expanded and increased in size. The ISS is almost 4 times its size by 2050 than it was 50 years previously.

Inflatable

Inflatable modules have been in the concept stage for years. They were eventually used by the US and Korean Martian ships. The great advantage to inflatable modules is that they can be small at launch and then inflate to a large size once in orbit. The US Martian Mission 'Odessa' rotated its inflatable module to create a centrifugal gravity. A design that is used on modern day starcraft.

Habitation Wheel

The classical design of a rotating wheel in space. The concept has been around since the early 1900's and has been a staple of science fiction writers ever since. The Chinese Tiangong-2 was the first large rotating wheel space station. The latest Commonwealth Sentinel station is also based on the habitation wheel concept.

O'Neil Cylinders

Another design that has been around for years. A large rotating tube that provides centrifugal gravity in the inner surface.

There are two O'Neil cylinder space station in the solar system. Both of these stations are based on the classic Babylon 5 TV show. The Kish and Isin are both based in Jupiter orbit. The Isin is currently being fitted with an ElectroGravitic Stardrive before under taking a generational tour to the other side of the galaxy. Kish is currently the main base of operations for the UN Space Fleet with a large civilian capacity.

The latest O'Neil station currently being constructed at the Luna Engineering orbital facility is Noah. Twin 8km diameter cylinders sit side by side and are connected at each end of their 33km lengths. At one end the proposal is to fit a 16km diameter EG Stardrive. The Noah will then be tasked as an Ark and loaded with Earth's flora and fauna. It will then move to the unusual orbit above the solar plane.

 

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