SUPERPUNK : Space


Space Travel

Travel off-Earth is accomplished via grav-thrust space vehicles. Travel to other worlds in the solar system or to worlds outside the Solar System uses the faster-than-light stardrive. This is an additional module of the standard grav-thrust drive which manipulates gravity in such a way as to create a small bubble of space-time which is isolated from, but still connected to, real space, and which can travel at FTL speeds. However, the maximum FTL speed is limited by the local gravity gradient, meaning that ships travel faster the further away from any stars or planets they are, with a maximum speed of about one light-year per week. It takes energy for a ship moving on the FTL drive to move up out of a gravity well, and ships coming back down into a gravity well accumulate energy which must be either stored or radiated away. Given the present level of technology stardrives can only be fitted into vehicles with a volume of more than about five thousand cubic metres.


The vast majority of space vehicles are military, with only a small proportion of civilian and commercial space vehicles. However, military personnel can often 'hitch a lift' on military space vessels traveling in the right direction through the use of contacts in the bureaucracy; obviously the level of accommodations gained in this way varies with rank and 'pull'. In Germany, the Luftwaffe operates most spacecraft, but the Wermacht and the SS (the latter especially), have significant independent space capability, arising from long-running inter-branch rivalries and infighting. A similar situation exists in the Japanese Empire, though with less concentration of space travel capability in the hands of any one branch of the military.


Settlements in the Solar System

Earth Orbit

Both the Reich and the Japanese Empire have many facilities in both high and low Earth orbits. These range from orbiting factories producing a range of interesting materials in zero gravity to space habitats holding a total of more than half a million people to communications satellites, armed military satellites and spy satellites. Both sides also have a large number of solar power satellites in geo-synchronous orbit. Built shortly after the turn of the 21st century to supply electrical power to the Earth, they became obsolete with the development of fusion power. However they are still in use and provide power to many of the orbiting factories for which importing fuel for fusion reactors would be prohibitively expensive.


L4

The Japanese Empire maintains a very large facility at the L4 position. This consists of a cluster of separate modules with a total population of nearly one million people, which makes up one of the Empires primary military bases, shipyards and specialised industrial areas. Needless to say the level of security at the facility is even higher than the normal level within the Empire.


L5

Like the Japanese at L4 the Reich maintains a large naval base, shipyard and industrial area at L5. Unlike the Japanese however, the German facilities are combined into a single huge structure whose size rivals that of the larger asteroids.


The Moon

Some of Earths oldest settlements in space are on the moon and this age, combined with forced emigration, means that the Moon now has a population of over twenty million divided equally between the Reich and the Empire. These people are mainly involved in mining Lunar materials (much of which are sent to the shipyards at L4 and L5) and manning the many military bases there, although are few wander over the surface of the Moon as independent prospectors. Several isolated mining camps hold prisoners doing forced labour for some offence or other.


Mercury

Although rich in metals the harsh environment of Mercury means that the population, a total of about ten thousand, consists of criminals in labour camps and their military overseers. Both the Reich and the Empire maintain penal colonies on Mercury for this purpose.


Venus

The harsh environment of Venus means that it is completely unpopulated. The only signs of mans presence are a few orbiting research satellites and automated ground bases.


Mars

Mar's position between Earth and the Asteroid Belt means that it is valuable, but the planet itself is almost worthless. For this reason, although the planet itself is uninhabited, the Reich maintains a naval base on Mar's moon Phobos, while the Japanese Empire maintains a naval base on Mar's other moon, Diemos.


The Asteroids

All the nations of the world, even Italy and the South American nations, have facilities in the Asteroid Belt to mine the rich deposits of metals found there. All the nations involved in asteroid mining have bases on the largest asteroid, Ceres, with Japan and Germany also having large facilities on several other major asteroids. There are also a fairly large number of independent prospectors who operate with the Belt. The total population of the Asteroid Belt is estimated to be about fifteen million people.


Jupiter

Both Japan and Germany maintain small colonies and large military bases in the Jovian system. The Reich maintains control of Ganymede and Callisto with Japan controlling Europa (Io remains uninhabited for obvious reasons). Both nations also have bases on several of Jupiters smaller moons, and in a rare example of international cooperation a joint weather-monitoring facility circles Jupiter in close orbit.


Saturn

The entire Saturn system of moons is claimed by Japan. Although several of Saturn's moons hold naval facilities of varying size, the main concentration of population is on Titan where nearly two hundred thousand people mine Titan's plentiful carbon compounds.


Uranus

Uranus and its moons are claimed by the Reich. Although most of them have been left untouched the largest holds a high-security research base with an accompanying naval base.


Neptune

Like Uranus Neptune holds a high-security research base with an accompanying naval facility. However, the Neptune system is claimed by the Japanese.


Pluto

Like Neptune, Pluto holds a high-security Japanese research base with an accompanying naval facility.


Settlements outside the Solar System

Alpha, Beta and Proxima Centauri

The first star system away from the sun to be explored by man, the Alpha and Beta Centauri system proved to be a disappointment as no planets were discovered, only several very dense asteroid belts. However, these belts are rich in metals and so have been fairly heavily colonised, the whole system now having a population of over twenty million people and containing several major naval facilities and shipyards.


Barnards Star

Colonised by the Japanese, Barnards Star has two gas giant planets and two small rocky worlds similar to Mercury orbiting it (one rocky world orbits inside, and one outside the gas giants). The system is home to over five million people, most of whom are miners on the rocky worlds. Japan maintains a naval presence throughout the system, which also contains several penal colonies. The system is being industrialised quite rapidly and also boasts a small but growing shipyard.


Sirius

Another system with no planets, Sirius contains very few asteroids either. However, the systems population is quite large despite this, mainly scientists from the Reich and the Empire studying the bright star Sirius A and its white dwarf companion Sirius B with a naval contingent to guard against any moves from the other side. The total population of the Sirius system is nearly ten thousand people.


Tau Ceti

One of the more sunlike stars in the vicinity of the Solar System, Tau Ceti was one of the first star systems explored by the Reich. Although the hoped-for Earth-like world was not found, several planets suitable for settlement were discovered, and since then the population of the system has risen to nearly ten million people spread over about a dozen planets and moons with the capital on the world of New Berlin. The Reich maintains a fairly large naval base in system, and also several rapidly growing industrial facilities and a shipyard, due in part, at least, to the presence of a small Italian colony in the system.


Sigma Draconis

The first world outside the solar system found to have native life, Sigma Draconis was discovered and colonised by the Japanese and now has a population of over one million people. A large percentage of the population are scientists studying the native life forms from bases across the planet. The rest of the population, mainly miners and farmers, live on several large islands cleared of the inedible local life forms and planted with Earth life. The rest of the system consists of two gas giants and several smaller worlds, many of which have also been colonised for mining purposes. The Empire maintains a large naval base in the Sigma Draconis system in order to protect what it sees as its most valuable colony.


Epsilon Eridani

Another sunlike star first reached by the Reich, Epsilon Eridani was colonised by them shortly after its discovery and now has a population of over ten million people, mainly involved in mining or building up the systems small but burgeoning industrial base, which includes a shipyard on the world of New Bavaria. Like other systems the navy maintains a fairly large presence in-system.


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