Encyclopaedia of the Galactic Echo
Page 7
General Spacestation Notes
There are a large number of artificial man-made satellites orbiting the various populated celestial objects, the most notable are detailed below.
Type 1
Explorer 12 – a famous station, which is where most state of the art research is carried out. Seen as the dream destination for budding scientists. Famous mainly for genetic research for humans against health problems and disease. Explorer 12, which orbits Earth, is the premier research station into studying the effects of humans living in space.
Moonbase C – was destroyed when an experiment went wrong with nuclear fission on 15th March 2274, and all 1,215 people on board were killed. The station orbited Mars. This tragic event is commemorated every year on Mars.
Type 2
Ecobase 3 – an ageing spacestation, was the station that discovered many breakthroughs in solar energy. Many prototype spacecraft are built there.
Type 3
Jailbird 2 – an infamous prison ship as it is the biggest in the solar system. Measures five kilometres long and holds many prisoners. Orbits the Moon.
Jailbird 9 – maximum security prison ship. Many murderers, psychopaths and other prisoners who are deemed a significant risk to the general population are sent there and live their lives out on the ship. On this Jailbird there are frequent riots and unrest due to the general mix of prisoners on board. Orbits the Moon.
Type 4
Jupesat. A massive ship, which took many years to build. A journey over the ground would measure nine kilometres. Jupesat was one of the first Type 4s, and indeed was one of the biggest spacestations at the time of its construction, and named after the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, as a result (JUPiter SATellite).
Excalibur – currently under construction over planet Mars. Will measure eight kilometres round the diameter when complete.
Dension – orbited Earth. One of the first Type 4 stations. Was the subject to a civil war which claimed many lives and left the ship critically damaged which ended April 10th, 2269. Still orbits Earth in a dilapidated state. Ongoing negotiations as to what to do with this station.
Type 5 Spacestation Notes
The person who first proposed and idea for a truly massive spacestation was Miles Lysander, who died in 2297.
There are four currently in use. The basic shape is the same, i.e. circular with their own artificial gravity. They are so big they have their own residential, industrial and retail areas. Some people live their entire lives on a Type 5. One of the benefits is the controlled weather, so everyone knows when it will rain, for example. Feature truly stunning views of the mother planet or moon. Some wealthy individuals have sites on them as holiday homes. The accommodation is generally quite small due to the immense cost involved in creating such a huge machine as a Type 5, and in fact property prices reflect that; apartments measuring any decent size on a Type 5 command premium prices, and increase exponentially when spaceship landing rights and large living areas are added in.
Having such colossal objects in orbit means that the population of the celestial object will see them easily. A Type 5 will generally block out significant sunlight for the time it moves overhead. For some people, a hobby has emerged, Type 5 Spotting, with many people gathering at certain locations to observe the spacestation moving overhead. A person doing this hobby is known colloquially as an 'anorak', a term devised for people who used to undertake train spotting in the 20th century on Earth, watching when steam locomotives travelled past them. Watching a Type 5 spacestation come past is simply the current version of the hobby.
To date, there are four Type 5 spacestations in orbit around a celestial body:
Isaac Newton – the first Type 5. 15 kilometres long. Orbits Earth. This station is constantly being extended, so is the biggest Type 5 in existence, with a population of 2 million people.
Genesis – the second Type 5 orbiting Earth. Length 12 kilometres. Population will be over 1 million. Still in construction, with a major extension planned to make it the biggest Type 5.
Centaur – orbits the Moon. Length 13 kilometres. Population 1.1 million, it is the only Type 5 spacestation in Moon orbit. The majority of the population who live on Centaur have employment on the Moon.
Zylander – the first and only Mars orbiting Type 5. Length 12 km, population 1.3 million. Has a very famous restaurant on board, Caymans, believed to be the most expensive and luxurious in the galaxy.