Let Me Play Among The Stars (A Space Program Plan Quest)

[4WheelSword]

Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Feb 7, 2023 at 9:45 AM, finished with 18 posts and 11 votes.

• ---

  5 people have voted

  [X] To fly a person by rocket as if it was a passenger plane

  • Hazeron
  • Tetra
  • Traveller76
  • Tempest Warden
  • 10ebbor10

  5 people have voted

  [X] High-performance Propellant

  • GerPN76
  • Tetra
  • maelstrom.seeker
  • Ogoobu
  • 10ebbor10

  5 people have voted

  [X] To launch a scientist to observe the edge of space.

  • Tetra
  • KreenWarrior
  • maelstrom.seeker
  • Ogoobu
  • SegaCD

  4 people have voted

  [X] Storable propellant

  • Hazeron
  • force200
  • GerPN76
  • SegaCD

  2 people have voted

  [x] Safe Propellant

  • KreenWarrior
  • Tempest Warden

  1 people have voted

  [X] To create a weapon to surpass Metal Gear that could reach any place on Earth.

  • force200

  1 people have voted

  [X] To create a weapon that could reach any place on Earth.

  • GerPN76

Events

The 'krump' of an explosion has Hedwig halfway under her desk before she even realises what is happening. A memory of bombers over Europe attempts to worm its way into her head but she shakes it off as the sound echoes into the distance. An alarm begins to sound somewhere as she leaps from her chair and rushes to the window, trying to see if something has happened at the airport - maybe a plane crash or a fuel fire. But there is nothing to see.

She makes her way quickly down the stairs, glad she decided to wear flats today. As she pushes open the front door and feels the slight spring chill she wishes she had picked up her jacket before leaving, but she had been in such a hurry.

Fortunate, perhaps, that she was. As she rounded the corner one of Appoline's lab assistants almost crashed into her, racing at full tilt towards her building.

"What's happened? Are you okay?" She asks, grabbing the man by the shoulders.

"Gotta call an ambulance," he gasps out, panting for breath, "Accident," brushing her off her begins his run towards the main doors again.

Hedwig hurries towards the lab, taking in the picture in front of her. There's a faint plume of thin white smoke coming from one of the ventilation boxes on the roof. A handful of staff are gathered nearby the building, most of them milling around the few who are sitting on the ground. By the time Hedwig reaches them, Apolline has already waved her over.

She is sitting against one wall, drinking from a canteen of water, hair in disarray. A respirator sits discarded on the ground next to her. Her clothes are stained, burned in places.

"Madame director." She says, voice croaky.

"What happened?"

"Well-" she coughs, then gives Hedwig a winning smile, "I may have inhaled a small amount of ammonia gas. But we found a new rocket fuel."

Fuel Mix	Mix Ratio	Mass Ratio	Type	Effective Isp (Atmo/Vac)	Additional Information	Tech
Hydrazine/ HNO3	1/1.45	320/1	Hypergolic	283s/338s	Corrosive, Toxic, Semi-Hypergolic	Fuel 1

• Corrosive fuel or oxidiser applies a -1 reliability modifier to an engine design that uses it.
• When designing an engine or booster using a Toxic fuel or oxidiser the designer can choose to take a -2 penalty to the roll to account for safety procedures. If they do not, apply a -2 reliability modifier to the component
• Semi-Hypergolic fuels apply a -1 modifier to the Ignition key phase when used.

Looking across the conference room at her small but close-knit team, Hedwig cannot help but smile. Apolline looks tired but nonetheless recovered from her experiences in the lab. Arne is all bright eyes and a curious expression. Dan has that same easy, comfortable look that he always seems to wear unless something is actively going wrong.

"I appreciate all the work you've done these last few months. We've managed to come together and begin work on something truly incredible." Hedwig begins, standing at the head of the table "I also realise that we have not been offered much in the way of guidance from above. Fortunately that means we have the scope to, essentially, do whatever we feel like."

"I don't want to build weapons." Arne cuts in almost immediately, "I realise that we don't have much choice if the ECN Council makes a formal order of it, but while we have the option I would much prefer sticking to peaceful use cases."

"You can probably guess my opinion on the matter." Dan adds, nodding along with Arne, "We stayed out of the Emergency for the most part, I don't want to play a part in risking that neutrality."

"No missiles unless specifically requested, got it. I have no issue with that. Appoline, do you concur?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh-" She looks distracted, gazing into the distance through the window. The weather is grey and overcast and Hedwig can't imagine there is much to look at. "I think we should send a person up."

There is a moment of quiet as the room chews on the suggestion.

"If we gave them a pressure suit-" Arne starts, before Dan interrupts him,

"An ejection mechanism and a parachute-"

"I could make accurate observations about the upper atmosphere, in person!" Appoline finishes with a fire in her eyes.

"Wait, you?" Hedwig asks

"But of course, madame Director. If not me, then who?"

Well, she certainly can't find an argument against that.

International News

January
Korea: Rumours abound that Soviet-backed North Korea is considering an invasion of Japanese-occupied South Korea to reunite the country.
China: The United Kingdom recognises the People's Republic of Free China which consists of most of the mainland other than Sino-Japanese territories.
United States: The USS Missouri ran aground and was stuck for two weeks at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.
Republic of India: The Dominion of India is declared a republic by the Constituent Assembly as part of the ratification of the Constitution.

February
China: The air force of the Republic of China bomb power plants feeding Japanese Shanghai, cutting electricity to 90% of the city. 500 are killed in the raid.
Soviet Union: The Soviet Union and the People's Republic of Free China have signed a thirty year mutual defence pact.
France: Requests have been made of the United States for economic and military aid in the development of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
United States: Senator McCarthy speaks on the senate floor about the dangers of Communism, Facism and Syndicalism to the United States.
United States: Undersecretary of State confirms that McCarthy's list of notable ideological sympathisers in the State Department have been dismissed as they were all homosexuals.

March
France: Pledging a free Republic of Saarland by 2000, France leases coal mines for the next fifty years.
China: Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft strike targets on Taiwan and mainland China in retaliation for the ROC's raid on Shanghai. 47 dead.
Belgium: Voters approve the return of King Leopold III by a slim majority.
Korea: Japan has offered semi-independent South Korea significant military aid to deter potential Northern aggression. The United States has apparently made a similar offer on the condition of Japanese withdrawal.
China: Reports of the ROC invading mainland China centre around the capture of the town of Songmen, Wenling province.
Turkey: The Italian-Turkish war of 1911-12 formally ends after 40 years.

Voting

You have one vote for each month, April through June, for a total of three votes. Please write your plan in the month-by-month order you would like the actions to occur.
Design
[ ] A new Engine can be designed utilising the new, hypergolic fuel.
[ ] If we're going to complete the experimental mission we need a Booster.

Plan
[ ] Plan a mission using a currently available Engine, Booster and Payload

Order
[ ] Order a planned Launch Vehicle and pay the cost out of the current budget

Schedule
[ ] Schedule a mission using a Launch Vehicle that is currently in stock

Research
[ ] Commit more time to Fuel research and maybe improve safety methods in the lab.
[ ] Enhanced Engine designs will improve performance.
[ ] Our current payload options are very simple, let's enhance that.
[ ] We should look into how to build better Boosters before we design another.

 

[4WheelSword]

Research: Rocket

"The French have been giving a lot of thought to missile guidance." Dan says, almost off-hand.

The three of them - Arne Andersson, Dan O'Leary and Hedwig - are sitting around a lunch table in what passes for the PEAC canteen discussing recent reports of interest they've seen. It's been a slow few days around the complex but these semi-regular casual meetings have been helping Hedwig maintain her sanity.

"I'm sure they have. They nearly lost Paris to the German tanks in the last war, I cannot imagine they want to risk losing the technology advantage again." Arne responds, sipping at a mug of thick black coffee.

"Quite right. The Arsenal de l'Aeronautique has been prototyping a command system involving a control stick and a length of wire for direct flight control. They haven't worked out the kinks, but it's a fascinating idea."

"Mm, it's for a missile, you said?" Hedwig asks, dunking a piece of bread in rapidly congealing soup, "Do you think it's applicable?"

"Specifically? No, they're looking at ranges up to two or three kilometres. We'd need several tons of wire for each launch and honestly I'm not sure how useful it would be. But the idea is sound. If we want anything more than vertical flight - and even there if we're being honest with ourselves - then we're going to need to develop an idea of how to control these rockets." Dan shrugs indecisively.

"You know, speaking of the Germans," Arne adds, scratching his chin, "I know a German man who was working on radio-controlled bombs at one point. Perhaps we could consider that angle."

Roll 2d10+Fortune

Research: Engine

"Engines, engines, why does everyone always want to talk to me about engines!" Appoline half shouts, heels clicking on the hard concrete path fast enough that Hedwig has to break into an indelicate trot to keep up.

"If the technology doesn't improve, we will not achieve our goals." Hedwig calls in response, a frown creasing her face.

"Arne has his perfectly suitable engine already, it is capable of far more than we need for the time being, what is even the point?" Appoline pulls up suddenly, standing in front of the complex's main building, and jabs a finger at Hedwig, "this is a waste of my resources and a waste of my time. I have real scientific research to be doing, not playing with a… mechanic's cast-offs."

"Appoline, we are trying to create the stuff of dreams here."

"I am not dreaming of having my hands in the guts of an engineering monstrosity,"

"That engineering monstrosity is going to be sending our scientists to the edge of space. We're going to need to increase our capabilities by a factor of ten at least if we're going to make that possible."

The French woman seems to consider this for a few moments then finally gives a shrug, lip curling.

"I was never not going to work on these damn engines. I am perfectly content doing what must be done for the good of the program. I am simply frustrated that I cannot focus on the pure sciences."

Hedwig reaches out to touch the other woman's arm, to offer small comfort for the disappointment. For a moment their eyes meet, then Appoline steps close. She places her lips on Hedwig's cheek, a gentle kiss of parting.

"Merci, ma chérie" she says, walking into the building.

Roll 2d10+Fortune

Design: Booster

"So, initially I thought, what is the biggest booster we could build with our current hardware?" Arne leads Hedwig around a brighter lit room above the draughtsman's studio, an ad-hoc display room for a series of sketches pinned to the walls.

"A reasonable response."

"Thank you. It comes out to somewhere in the region of one and a half tons, though it will need some sort of assistance to remain stable in the first few seconds of flight." He gestures to a drawing of a large rocket lifting itself off the pad, a pair of what could easily be anti-tank rockets strapped to the sides.

"I see that the Petit Jacque made a comeback." Hedwig says with a nod to the drawing. Arne laughs politely.

"One of the artists asked what she should draw so I handed her the reference report." he smiles a little awkwardly, "Anyway, the acceleration at ignition was barely two metres per second, and we'd lose so much to gravity that it was functionally pointless. A long term plan. The next is a better idea, I think."

He leads her to the next drawing, an engineering plan view of a much smaller vehicle with nothing strapped to the outside.

"We would expect this to be less than half a ton with all components fitted, capable of almost ten metres per second at ignition and just barely able to touch fifty or sixty kilometres of vertical climb. It's… good enough." his smile falters, "Of course these are just two of about eight different ideas we had."

Select a design to proceed with:
[ ] XBD-2 - Maximum Size
[ ] XBD-1 - As light as possible
[ ] Another Design - Write in

Roll 2d10+Engineer

Author note: Please only roll once each, to allow multiple people a chance to roll.

 

[4WheelSword]

Events

"Dan! Arne!" Hedwig calls as she walks across the forecourt in front of the complex's main building.

The two men are playing with something, a mechanism of some kind. They turn, both grinning wide smiles, and Arne holds up the device and waves at her with it.

"Director, come to join us in our vital work?" Dan steps to one side, revealing the odd shape behind him to be a miniature aeroplane.

"What… I don't begrudge you for taking time for your own hobbies, but vital work?" She asks, frowning at the little aircraft. It has the Swedish triple-crown roundel painted carefully on the tail, and Arne's name is written in cursive under the blue-coloured 'canopy'. The propeller, painted black, is pinned in place by a piece of metal rod.

"The plane, maybe not, but look," Arne says, extending an aerial from the thing in his hands and pressing some of the controls. The flaps and rudder on the aircraft swing quickly back and forth, making the lightweight model wiggle gently. "We were looking at all these military solutions to guidance, with the cables and the heavyweight inertial guidance, and the group of American entrepreneurs have already solved the basics. It's radio, simple radio. We'll have to scale up for our particular applications, but it's already a solved problem."

"That's great news." Hedwig fights down the urge to give an amused but exasperated sigh, "I'll leave you boys with your toys." She begins to walk back towards the main building, though after just a few paces she turns back to watch. Dan holds the model plane in one hand, pulling the metal pin out with his other. The propeller begins to turn and he tosses the plane into the air with a grunt of exertion. The wind catches it just so, the propellor bites the air and the two men let out a whoop of joy as it quickly accelerates.

Well, whatever keeps them happy, she thinks to herself.

---

"I'm worried."

"About what?" Hedwig asks. She's sitting across from Arne in her office, watching him chew the nib of his pen.

"The structural integrity of the rocket stage we've designed. It's small - which isn't really a problem - but it means that any compression or torsion has a better chance of tearing the whole object apart." He shrugs, "There isn't a whole lot we can do about it, it'll work. I just worry we're introducing too many points of failure into the system."

"I think that's part of the sport, don't you think?" she responds, "We're going to have failures, plenty of failures. So long as we learn from them, I'll be more than content."

"I suppose you're right," he says, sounding glum

"Exactly. I'm decisive and correct. That's why I'm in charge." she stabs her finger into the desk with a gentle thump, emphasising her point.

He gives her a smile in return.

International News

April
United States: Congress hears reports from the US Navy that foreign submarines have been sighted 'two or three times' in US coastal waters.
United States: Van Allen, Chapman and Berkner discuss, at a public dinner, the idea of worldwide scientific measurements to be taken some time in 1957.
USSR: An ECN reconnaissance plane is shot down by Soviet LA-11 fighters off the coast of the Latvian SSR. The League of Nations hears protests from French and Polish representatives.
United States: Avro Canada Jetliner takes mail from Toronto to New York in half the time of an equivalent prop plane. US Conglomerate of Aerospace Interests announces they will build a rocket capable of the equivalent journey in minutes.
Japan: Government insists Soviet Union is keeping prisoners captured during the First Soviet-Japanese war despite peace agreements. The Soviet Union denies this.

May
Germany: The three independent representatives of Germany to the League of Nations make their first joint declaration asking for the return of all German prisoners of war held in the Soviet Union to be returned. The Soviet Union insists it has already done so.
France: Joint-ECN commitment made to ensuring peace in French Indochina with military and economic aid being delivered to the area.

June
Benelux: The European Coal and Steel Community is formed, consisting of France, the Benelux region, Luxembourg and independent German mining communities.
Korea: Japanese and North Korean officials meet to negotiate the North's declared intention to reunify North and South Korea.
United States: The Joint Chiefs hear reports that aiding the Republic of China, based at this time on Formosa, would be vital to 'combating enemies of Democracy in Asia'.
Korea: North Korean Divisions cross the 38th parallel after significant shelling of South Korean and Japanese positions, heading for Seoul.
Geneva: The League of Nations condemns the North Korean Aggression and calls for an end to hostilities. The Soviet Union and People's Republic of Free China abstain from voting.
Korea: The first air engagement of the war is fought between Japanese jet and propeller driven aircraft including four J7W Shinden fighters. It is the first Japanese victory of the war.
Japan: Elements of the Japanese Home Fleet set sail to join the Korean Fleet including the carrier Katsuragi and her escorts. On June 30, her aircraft would conduct the first Japanese air strikes against North Korea.

Voting

You have one vote for each month, July through September, for a total of three votes. Please write your plan in the month-by-month order you would like the actions to occur.
Construct
[ ] Build an Engine Test stand for a current or future Engine, paying the cost out of the current budget.
[ ] Write in the Fuel mixture and maximum size of the Engine or
[ ] Write in the Engine the Test stand is designed for
[ ] Build a Wind Tunnel, paying the cost out of the current budget.
[ ] Write in the maximum capacity in M

Design
[ ] An Engine for a future mission - Write in the details
[ ] A Booster for a future mission - Write in the details
[ ] A payload for a future mission - Write in the details

Plan
[ ] Plan a Mission using a currently available Engine, Booster and Payload.

Order
[ ] Order a planned Launch Vehicle and pay the cost out of the current budget

Schedule
[ ] Schedule a mission using a Launch Vehicle that is currently available.

Research
[ ] Research: Fuel variations and derivatives
[ ] Research: Engine enhancements
[ ] Research: Payload components and modules
[ ] Research: Electronics and guidance
[ ] Research: Rocket and booster improvements

 

[4WheelSword]

July 1950 - Plan Launch Vehicle

The four of them, the senior staff of the PEAC program, were standing around the centre table of the conference room. On it was an engineering drawing, a design document detailing the mating process of the XRE-2 engine, the XBD-1 rocket body and the Sounding Payload Prototype experimental nose-cone. Hedwig chewed her lip, taking these last moments to study everything and try to spot the obvious mistakes they'd made. There weren't any of course - each of their teams had gone over the details a hundred times, then each of her subordinate seniors had studied them with a fine tooth comb, and now they were looking over them together.

It looked, she had to admit, like a rocket. A functional, workable, buildable design. Four hundred and forty seven kilograms of ethanol and liquid oxygen-fuelled flying machine. They expected it to be fully capable of breaking the flight-altitude record of any weather balloon by about double. If it worked, PEAC was about to change the world. If it didn't, well, they'd just have to keep trying.

LV-1	Control	Stability	Reliability	Mass​	Cost​
XRE-2	-2​	0​	-3​	0.438M​	0.907C​
XBD-1	-1​	+1​	0​	1.121M​	0.065C​
SPP	0​	-1​	0​	0.228M​	0.43C​
Additional	0​	+2​	0​
Total on pad	-3​	+2​	-3​	1.787M​	1.402C​
Delta-V​	1,230m/s​	T/M Ratio​	3.85/1​	D/M Ratio​	1/1​

"I do have a serious question." Arne murmurs, breaking the intense silence.

"Hmm? Yeah?" Hedwig responds, eyes snapping up to the big Swede.

"What are we going to call it?"

"What, you don't find el-vee one to be a compelling moniker?" Dan teases, smiling.

"What about Rȇve?" Apolline offers, "It means dream."

Hedwig bites her lip to avoid suggesting a name that would either make her or the french woman blush.

What are you calling the first PEAC Sounding Rocket?
[ ] Rȇve (Dream)
[ ] Vråla (Roar)
[ ] Dóchas (Hope)
[ ] Write-in

Roll 2d10-1

August 1950 - Order Launch Vehicle

"So we're starting work, yes?" Arne asks, standing in Hedwig's office. His face is serious, his demeanour workmanlike.

"I see no reason not to."

"And the program can definitely afford it? Materials, machines, everything?"

"Even the wages, Arne. Everything is fine. It's well within budget." Almost one and a half million dollars to build and fly the sounding rocket means that PEAC isn't going to get more than two or three a year on its current funding, but she can choke down those concerns when she's signing cheques. Budgetary issues are for the next time she goes in front of the ECN council on scientific progress.

"We'll get to work then, Miss Bräuner." He says, nodding and turning on his heel.

Remaining budget 1950: 3.598C
Roll 2d10-2

September 1950 - Research Engine Enhancements

"I look at engines, I look at engines, every day I am reading papers and writing reports and considering the material properties of metals." Apolline says with a performative frown waving her spoon in the air like a conductor's baton, "It has been too long since I have been allowed to do science rather than engineering."

The two women are sitting across a table from each other in a carefully shadowed corner of a nice restaurant in Dublin proper. Hedwig asked the woman to dinner for companionship; she's not disappointed to be talking about work, it's part of the territory of being close to a person so committed, but she's glad to be doing it in the company of fantastic food and two or three bottles of decent wine.

Now, over a rich bread pudding that is somehow both dense and light, Apolline is finally expounding on the disappointments inherent in running an applied R&D lab.

"Would you like me to hire another engineer?" Hedwig asks, smiling.

"Don't even joke," Apolline answers with a jab of her spoon, "Arne is a fine man but he's so… mechanically minded."

"I'm glad you're such close friends."

The French woman makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a dismissive sigh. She picks up her wine glass and takes a sip, eyes sparkling across the rim. She seems about to say something when her attention flicks up and to the side. Hedwig follows suit, spotting two young men approaching. She fights back a huff of irritation and instead puts on her best movie-star smile.

"Can I help you boys?" She asks, her natural accent replaced by an indecipherable anglo-american lilt. She can see Apolline watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, uh," The older of the two seems to stammer over his words for a moment before his brain catches up, caught in her headlamp beam, "Miss La Mayer, isn't it?"

"That's right. What can I do for you, Mr..?"

"Thomas, ma'am. Miss. I mean.. I'm Peter Thomas. This is my brother, John," he says with a gesture to the younger of the two who nods eagerly, "We're big fans, Miss La Mayer."

"I would hope so, or I'd wonder why you'd approached me over dinner. A woman might think you had other intentions." She taunted, still maintaining that dangerous smile.

"Oh no, ma'am, no at all. Miss, I mean. Miss La Mayer-"

"Miss La Mayer, what my brother is trying so hard to ask is we wondered if you'd grace us with an autograph. We'll get out of your hair just as soon as we have an answer either way." The younger of the two men - a boy really, Hedwig doubts he's much older than twenty - finally speaks up.

"Thank you, John." Hedwig gives the younger man a nod of approval, "Apolline, do you have a pen?"

While the French woman is digging in her clutch for one, Hedwig pulls out a compact and her lipstick, quickly reapplying the dangerously red colour to her lips. She takes the pen and, unfolding a clean napkin, writes out a missive to the two men. Signing her name, she lifts the thick cloth to her lips and presses it there, leaving a very distinct impression. Handing the napkin to the two men, she gives them a last smile.

"Will that do?" She asks, knowing full well one or the other is probably about to die of a heart attack.

They offer their thanks and scamper away, leaving the two women alone to the rest of their night.

"So how do I go about getting my own personalised Hedwig Bräuner lipstick print?" Apolline asks just as Hedwig is taking a sip of her wine. She almost chokes and it takes all her force of will to turn it into a high-cheeked blush and a gentle cough.

"Deliver me a better engine design and I'll think about it." She replies with a laugh, though she can feel the heat rising up her body.

Perhaps that's enough wine for the night.

Roll 2d10+3

 

[4WheelSword]

Events

Plan: VREDE - Roll 17, Partial Success: The mission vehicle will work as designed.

Order: VREDE - Roll 11, Partial Success: The manufacturing facility works as intended. The mission vehicle will be ready for scheduling in October.

"I've never seen it working like this before." Arne says, leaning against his manufactury desk.

In a large space abutting the design shops, engineers and mechanics are working furiously. Lathes are turning, mills are spinning, sparks are flying as welders attach parts together. Hedwig can see the vague shape of major parts coming together but in many ways it is simply a mess of hurrying figures and pieces of metal.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" She replies, watching people hurry back and forth. It seems uncoordinated but she can tell that everyone is working to some unknown-to-her plan.

"Mm, excellent." He says with a shallow nod, "It's going to take time - every part needs to be tested thoroughly so we don't have a repeat of that fuel line split. But we'll have our first rocket soon enough."

"When is soon enough?"

"Mmm, October. Two months. The VREDE will be ready to be shipped to Sweden in October."

"That will be perfect, thankyou."

Research: Engine Enhancements - Roll 21, Full success: Unlock three modules from the selected technology tier. The GM should make a move.

"Tell me I'm a genius." Apolline says to the room at large. She has placed a set of drawings onto the conference room table for a new type of engine which takes advantage not only of a multi-feed combustion chamber but new feed outputs, a redesigned exhaust nozzle and a set of carbon control fins placed inside the exhaust flow in order to allow for active guidance of the rocket in flight.

"Apolline, you're a genius." Dan offers, leaning on his fists to get a closer look at the drawings, "You're so smart, I could kiss you."

"I appreciate the sentiment, monsieur, but no thank you. Your praise is more than enough," she says with a glance at Hedwig. Clearing her throat, the Director attempts to focus on the plans.

"Arne, you're on engine design. The XRE-2, can we get performance gains?"

"Oh, absolutely. I won't know how much until I've been able to really go over it but… yes, this will be a great help."

Injector	Combustion Rate	Complexity	Details	Tech
Dual Impingement	75%	x0.8		Engine 1

Nozzle Type	Isp (Sea Level)	Isp (Vacuum)	Mass per Mass-Flow	Cost per M	Tech
Atmospheric	1	1.05	4	2	Engine 1

Upgrade	Effect	Mass	Cost	Tech
Carbon Vanes	+1 Control	+10%	+10%	Engine 1

International News

July
Korea: Two companies of Japanese SNLF infantry depart from Kyushu and land at Pusan, the first fresh Japanese troops to reach Korea. Following this, the Japanese task force engages and sinks five North Korean vessels at Chumonchin Chan.
Geneva: The League of Nations hear that North Korea has no intention of halting its operations to free its Southern siblings from Japanese occupation.
Warsaw: Communist North Germany and Poland mark the separation of Görlitz and Zgorzelec by treaty.
Korea: The 'free' South Korean government formally hands control of the nation to Japanese forces for the duration of the military emergency, however long that will be. This includes the surviving South Korean Army and its troops.
Korea: Taejon falls to North Korean troops, leaving very little of the peninsula under Japanese control.
Baikonur: The Soviet Rocketry Program has its first successful flight, with a rocket that achieves an altitude of ten kilometres before detonating.
Japan: 180 communists are fired from positions in newspapers and radio.


August
Geneva: The League of Nations calls for a united entry into the Korean conflict. The Soviet Union and the United States both use their veto option to refuse this measure.
French Indochina: A combined ECN advisory force arrives in Saigon, the first mutual military deployment of the Coalition.
Korea: A 140-mile stretch of defensive line is established by Japanese forces. Known as the Pusan Perimeter it is intended to defend Japanese positions while they rebuild their strength for a push North.
USSR: Rumours are spreading that the Soviet Union is working on a rocket capable of intercepting an intruding bomber aircraft.
Europe: The ECN council has voted in favour of forming a United European Army capable of defending the constituent nations from attack.
Korea: Japanese forces have managed some small victories outside the Pusan Perimeter with fresh troops from the mainland and the co-prosperity sphere.
China: A Japanese strike aircraft strays off course and attacks an airfield in Communist China. The issue is raised with the League of Nations and Japan offers to pay compensation.

September
Korea: Mao Zedong, in a public statement, makes it clear that the PRFC will respond swiftly to any invasion of its neighbouring allies, including North Korea.
USSR: A Soviet Bomber was shot down by Japanese aircraft after it entered a Naval Task Forces airspace. There were no survivors.
Britain: Soap rationing ends in the United Kingdom, followed shortly by the end of sugar rationing.
Korea: Japan declares its intention to reunite Korea under Japanese control by crossing the 38th parallel as soon as possible. Five days later, Japanese naval forces conducted a marine landing at Inchon. Supported by paratroops and a breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, forces are soon on the outskirts of Seoul. By the 26th, Seoul was once again in Japanese hands.
Poland: French, Irish and Swedish troops arrive in Poland to ensure its safety from any attacks. More ECN units will arrive in the following months.
Geneva: The European Coalition of Nations makes a statement to the fifth annual session of the League of Nations that any attack against Poland by the USSR would be considered an attack on all member states.
Europe: The ECN votes almost unanimously to enter the war in Korea without the approval of the League of Nations.

GM Move - Politics
"What do you mean, you're reallocating funding?" Hedwig cannot help but let her voice rise a little. There's a burn of irritation in her chest, an anger that her PEAC project has not even gone a year before some foolish politician has decided to interfere.

"It's temporary, and it's a small amount," says her Coalition contact, Contre-Amiral Marcel Macron, "But every ECN program is going to be dealing with some cuts. PEAC is just one in a hundred."

"I understand that, but… war? I thought the whole point of the Coalition is that we don't do that any more."

"Apparently some of our foreign friends haven't gotten the message yet." He says and Hedwig can hear the boredom in his voice. "At least La Royale will have the chance to properly stretch its legs."

"Of course, Amiral. And we here at PEAC understand. We can only hope this will be over swiftly."

"Ah, well, you know. These provincial types. It will only take a few months, I'm sure."

6 segment clock: The Korean War
Progress: 1/6
Current budget reduced by 10%: 3.238C
Whenever this move is pushed, reduce the players current budget pool by 10%.
When the clock is filled, the political issue - whether it is a war, lobbying or anti-scientific sentiment on behalf of the politicians - is resolved.
Clout can be expended as an action to add a segment to this clock without reducing the budget.

Voting

You have one vote for each month, October through December, for a total of three votes. Please write your plan in the month-by-month order you would like the actions to occur or select one of the Staff Plans below.
Construct
[ ] Build an Engine Test stand for a current or future Engine, paying the cost out of the current budget.
-[ ] Write in the Fuel mixture and maximum size of the Engine or
-[ ] Write in the Engine the Test stand is designed for
[ ] Build a Wind Tunnel, paying the cost out of the current budget.
-[ ] Write in the maximum capacity in M of a subsonic tunnel
or
-[ ] Write in the maximum capacity in M of a supersonic tunnel
[ ] Build a Launch Pad, paying the cost out of the current budget.
-[ ] Write in the maximum Launch Vehicle size and the Fuel mixture it's intended for.

Design
[ ] An Engine for a future mission - Write in the details
[ ] A Booster for a future mission - Write in the details
[ ] A payload for a future mission - Write in the details

Plan
[ ] Plan a Mission using a currently available Engine, Booster and Payload.

Order
[ ] Order a planned Launch Vehicle and pay the cost out of the current budget

Schedule
[ ] Schedule a mission using a Launch Vehicle that is currently available.

Research
[ ] Research: Fuel variations and derivatives
[ ] Research: Payload components and modules
[ ] Research: Electronics and guidance
[ ] Research: Rocket and booster improvements

Undertake
[ ] Attempt to gain Clout to retain budget during the military crisis.

Staff plans (These are options instead of writing in a plan vote.)
[ ] Plan: Arne the Engineer - Reliability
-[ ] Order: VREDE, keeping the workshop running.
-[ ] Schedule: VREDE for launch from Sweden. A rocket needs to fly.
-[ ] Construct: A test stand for a new engine
[ ] Plan: Dan the Deputy - Simplicity
-[ ] Design: A larger booster stage for the current engine.
-[ ] Schedule: VREDE for launch from Sweden. We should make our first attempt.
-[ ] Plan: A new, more capable launch vehicle.

In addition, please vote on the ECN Entry into the Korean War:
[ ] Against the wishes of Poland, the ECN will be deploying troops to support the Chinese project to free Korea.
[ ] Against the wishes of France, the ECN will be deploying troops to support the Japanese defence of South Korea.
[ ] The ECN will attempt to act as a peacekeeping force, allied to neither side, and use diplomatic and military methods to create a peace.
[ ] Write-in, subject to GM veto.

 

[4WheelSword]

If you look at the design document you'll notice that there has been a rather radical change - after feedback from the community 'M' or Mass has been changed. Previously M was equal to 250kg. Now M is equal to 1,000kg.
GM Moves have also been heavily re-written to better represent the problems you might face.

Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Feb 17, 2023 at 7:04 AM, finished with 14 posts and 6 votes.

• ---

  4 people have voted

  [X] Plan Gofas'
  - [X] Construct: Build a Wind Tunnel, paying the cost out of the current budget.
  -- [X] 3M, Supersonic
  - [X] Schedule: VREDE for launch from Sweden. A rocket needs to fly, more than before because we might be about to go right back to the drawing board.
  - [X] Research: Fuels

  • midnight77
  • Tempest Warden
  • FrangibleCover
  • Traveller76

  3 people have voted

  [X] The ECN will attempt to act as a peacekeeping force, allied to neither side, and use diplomatic and military methods to create a peace.

  • midnight77
  • Tempest Warden
  • FrangibleCover

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan Walk Before Running

  • JumpStationApoll

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan: Find something to spend it on!
  -[X] Order: VREDE, keeping the workshop running.
  -[X] Schedule: VREDE for launch from Sweden. A rocket needs to fly.
  -[X] Build a Wind Tunnel, paying the cost out of the current budget.
  --[X] Supersonic, 1.86 M max capacity.

  • Dessard

October 1950 - Construct Wind Tunnel

The first ground breaking ceremony - the first formal one at least - in PEAC's history is a dreary affair. They had at least managed to get lucky and conduct it on a day when it wasn't raining, but it was hardly warm enough to be considered a comfortable celebration. Still, as Hedwig sinks the shovel into the damp earth she cannot help but smile. Fortunate, perhaps, for the snap of camera bulbs from a handful of reporters is loud in her ears but nonetheless, this is progress. This is forward movement even in the face of conflict.

Handing the tool to a workman, she steps back into the assembled group of staff and visitors. They've broken down into smaller groups, chatting amongst themselves about things to come. The conversations, at least the snatches of them that Hedwig can hear, are hopeful.

"This is a good day, pani dyrektor," A warm voice says from behind her, making her start.

She turns, assessing the woman in the uniform of the Siły Powietrzne. She's tall, taller than she has any right to be, and between her full lips and sparkling eyes Hedwig cannot help but gawk. If she had any less of her wits about her she would surely have her mouth hanging open.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asks, seemingly sincere though the slight upturn of the corner of her mouth belies her concern.

"I'm sorry," Hedwig apologises, feeling her brain whirr as gears gnash against the blockage, "I was trying to read your rank tabs before I responded."

The woman chuckles, a throaty, deep laugh that cuts right through Hedwig to the core. She extends a hand to be shaken and Hedwig takes it gently. Her hands are rough, workmanlike, and warm.

"Kapitan Krystyna Nowak. Krys, to my friends," the Polish officer nods to the patch of bare earth, "I was saying, this is good. A number of nations in the ECN are going to be coming to you on their knees begging for time testing aircraft prototypes."

"Including Poland?" Hedwig asks, desperately trying not to think about kneeling.

"Oh, absolutely. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up spending more time here than in my own home country." Nowak gives a lopsided grin that seems explicitly designed to make the director blush.

"Our work demands too many sacrifices."

"I'm sure I will come to terms with them." She says, touching the brim of her cap, "if you'll excuse me, Dyrektor."

Wind Tunnel, Supersonic: Capacity 0.75M
Construction Cost: 3C
Remaining Budget: 0.238C
Roll 2d10+1

November 1950 - Schedule VREDE for Launch

"When do we launch?" Arne asks, barely managing to remain on the edge of his seat. His excitement has been palpable for days, ever since the constituent parts of the VREDE rocket were loaded into the back of the Program's trucks and driven down to the port.

"The end of December, and not before. Our wise and powerful superiors want to inform the Soviets and the neighbours that we'll be launching a rocket before they get weird ideas and decide to send up interceptors." Hedwig responds, sitting comfortably behind her desk. She had finally managed to get some soft chairs brought in and it was a godsend.

"I can only imagine the looks on their faces when our little experiment goes whizzing past their noses," he says with a smile.

There is a pause. Hedwig uses the moment to look out the window and at the sun that is just starting to set.

"How does it feel?" She asks quietly.

"Hmm?"

"To go back to your homeland?"

"Oh," he offers a gentle smile and a casual shrug, "I have spent most of my life at home. Coming here to develop aeronautical masterpieces - this is like a dream. How long has it been for you?"

"Thirteen years. Most of those in the United States."

"A grim, money-focused place."

"Mmm, quite," She sighs sadly and turns back to face him, "When do you fly?"

"Whenever we get word that VREDE is in the country. I'll be going over to supervise assembly and testing before we actually launch."

"Good luck."

Flight scheduled for December 1950
Roll 2d10-2

December 1950 - Research Fuel

"Heaven help me Apolline, if you almost gas yourself again-"

"A little faith please, Director." The small French woman responds, grinning with all her teeth, "We are being much more cautious and we have improved our safety standards significantly."

"I don't want anyone getting hurt," Hedwig says in a plaintive tone, "Least of all you."

"Me, madame Director?"

She takes two steps across the office's bare floor, flat shoes clicking far louder than they have any right to. Hedwig takes a breath in as the space between them closes to a matter of inches and as she does she realises her mistake. She can smell Apolline's perfume, a gentle floral scent, light enough that one could only notice it this close.

"Why would you be so concerned about me?"

The heat rising in Hedwig's chest is overwhelming, a warmth unmistakable as it climbs her neck and into her cheeks. Her breathing shallows, just a little. Just enough. Apolline laughs, a small, sonorous chuckle that reverberates through Hedwig like electric current.

Her hand rises, touching Hedwig's elbow ever so lightly,

"I will be ever so careful, ma chérie." She whispers and sweeps from the room, shoes clicking loudly.

As the door closes, Hedwig reaches up to touch her mouth, a ghost that wasn't pressed against her lips.

Where is Apolline's propellant research focus?
[ ] Better uses for Liquid Oxygen
[ ] Other uses for Nitric acid
[ ] Attempt to find new options entirely
Roll 2d10+3

 

[4WheelSword]

Events

Construction Roll: 20
Full success: Building ready in January.The GM should make a move.

A fourth large, permanent structure has started going up on the PEAC complex - the first concrete sections of a supersonic wind tunnel. Parts and pieces of the complex machinery needed will begin arriving in the coming weeks and then it will be a matter of engineering as much as it is one of construction.

When it is finished - sometime around the end of January - it will be a significant boon to the program. It had better be, it has cost the better part of three million dollars.

Schedule Roll: 15
Partial success: There are a few problems but they can be overcome.

A report from Kronogård

Director Bräuner,

I arrived at the Launch site several days ago. The preparation team here has been nothing but warm in their welcome - I even know some of them from previous work. We have the VREDE rocket here and we are beginning final testing and assembly.

In regards to the latter we have had some minor issues; it has not risen above zero degrees in several months and will not for several months more. This has caused the contraction of several segments of the launch vehicle and made it difficult to fit the payload assembly to the main body of the rocket. We will have to account for this in future designs intended for launch from this facility.

If I had one request, it would be for a more permanent base to be established here if we are to use it as a launch facility long term. If we had a proper building for assembly it would speed up work considerably. It would also be nice to have somewhere to put a real bed.

Kindest regards, and I look forward to giving you the tour before the year is out.
Arne Andersson,
Head of Engineering, PEAC

Research Roll: 14
Partial success: Unlock one module from the selected technology tier.

Fuel Mix	Mix Ratio	Mass Ratio	Type	Effective Isp (Atmo/Vac)	Additional Information	Tech
Alc(7.5%)/ LOX	1/1.73	250/1	Bipropellant	284s/338s	Semi-Cryogenic	Fuel 1

A doorman dressed all in green pulls open the door, touching the brim of his cap with a smile. Hedwig returns it, pulling off her gloves as she walks into the warm interior. Clerys, the largest department store in Ireland, is decked out the same as any other; it could just as easily have been Macys or Selfridges.

She found the perfume stand quickly enough, following her nose as much as her eyes. A young woman, standing behind the counter, smiles as she approaches.

"Welcome to Clerys' ma'am." She says brightly, "Can I help you?"

"I certainly hope so. I'm looking for a specific perfume, one a friend of mine wears." Hedwig glances around the counter, eyeing the myriad bottles with a little trepidation. She has always worn the same scents, finding comfort in an expensive amber and citrus combination.

"Do you know what it's called?" She asks, smiling bright.

"No."

"Oh," her smile dips almost imperceptibly, "Do you know what the bottle looks like?"

"No," Hedwig gives an apologetic half-shrug, "I'm afraid I only know it by smell."

The woman's smile almost entirely disappears before returning resolute and stoic.

"My mother didn't raise a quitter. Let's find you a perfume."

It takes half an hour of testing different samples, but finally Hedwig is standing at the counter, a bottle of L'eau de Temps before her. The woman - Hedwig has learned her name is Mary in the process of their mutual struggle - stands beside the till, wrapping paper in one hand and a slight flush to her cheeks.

"Would you like it wrapped as a gift? Christmas is coming."

Who is the perfume for?
[ ] It's for Hedwig, for Appoline to notice.
[ ] It's for Apolline, a declaration of intention.

International News

October
French Indochina: Troops in the East Asian colony are attacked by forces along the border with China. Separated from the main armies by three hundred miles, the border forts are cut off and isolated.
Korea: Japanese and South Korean troops begin to push back against North Korean forces, with limited success.
Germany: The first civilian aircraft to cross German airspace since the '39-'41 war takes off from Wiesbaden.
USSR: Japanese aircraft mistakenly enter Soviet airspace and strafe a number of parked aircraft. No injuries are reported and the aircraft are not pursued.
Korea: Chinese forces cross the Northern border and join the war effort against Japanese and South Korean forces.
Germany: Hermann Flade is arrested and shot for posting fliers protesting undemocratic elections in communist North Germany.
France: Pierre Mendès France makes a speech advocating that France end its war in Indochina, negotiate with the communists and move to commit more forces to the ECN peacekeeping operation in Korea.
Geneva: In an address to the League of Nations, the Soviet Foreign Minister called upon the world's nations to adopt a resolution to outlaw nuclear weapons even though one has never been tested or fired in anger.

November
French Indochina: A combined ECN fleet arrives from Europe in South-East Asia, including the French carrier Joffre and escorts from a variety of nations.
Korea: Japanese prop fighters encounter Chinese jet aircraft in the sky for the first time. Japanese long range bombers begin a bombing campaign against the Yalu River dam and bridges crossing the border.
Britain: A proposal comes to the light, suggesting that Japanese and Chinese forces should both withdraw from Korea and allow it to become a free and unified nation guided and administered for a period of time by the United Kingdom. It is poorly received worldwide.
United States: Newspapers report that the American conglomeration has tested their first mail rocket and it has detonated spectacularly to the amusement of many onlookers.
France: The National Assembly has voted to hand over much of the responsibility for the governance of Indochina to the local Vietnamese administration by the end of the year.
Korea: Japanese bombers strike at Pyongyang, killing many including the son of Mao Zedong. Japanese forces that had expected to be home before the end of December were faced with a renewed Chinese offensive.
Geneva: The Japanese delegate to the League of Nations has caused concern when he announced that Japanese forces would use all available means to meet the needs of the war in Korea. ECN Delegates state that hostilities must cease or European forces will intervene.

December
Egypt: Local Archeologists announce the discovery of the two and a half thousand year old tomb of the High Priest of Heliopolis
Korea: Major elements of the Japanese forces have been pushed back below the 38th parallel by Chinese and North Korean forces. China announces the plan is to free Korea of Japanese colonialism and unite the fractured nation.
Germany: The three independent German factions agree to cooperate in joining the European Coal and Steel Community as an allied bloc.
Korea: Three Japanese carriers (Shinano, Katsuragi and Soryu) and two battleships (Kongo and Musashi) support evacuations of Japanese troops by bombing and shelling Chinese positions.
Japan: Anti-communists arrests and purges begin, including the dismantling of newspapers, student groups and political parties.
French Indochina: Soldiers from France, Austria, Sweden, Poland, Belgium and Ireland have assembled in the Far East and have begun training for opposed amphibious landings. Japan, China and North Korea have all rejected the peacekeeping force with warnings that movement into the area will be met with open hostility.

GM Moves

There is a sharp rap on the frame of Hedwig's open door, bare knuckles on the bare wood.

"Dyrektor Bräuner? May I come in?" A voice asks, out of sight but unmistakable despite that.

"Captain Nowak? By all means," She stands as the uniformed officer of the Polish Air Force walks in, shucking her cap as she does so. Long brown hair is tied back in a tight bun, framing features that on anyone else would probably seem severe. "What can I do for you today, captain?"

The officer shakes Hedwig's hand brusquely before collapsing into the chair opposite and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I would love for this to be a personal visit, Dyrektor, but I come on ECN business. You know about the deployments to the Far East?"

"Of course," She had in fact been invited to watch the French-led fleet depart but had simply not had time to do so, "I'm not sure what it has to do with us."

"With you, maybe not. It was all I could do to not get reassigned to a front line squadron. Poland is short on flying officers willing to go overseas." Krystyna makes a face, "I am perfectly willing to fight for my country, don't misunderstand me."

"I wouldn't dare." Hedwig says, entirely honestly.

"Anyway, my visit is not for pleasure, or for complaining about my lot." She pops open her briefcase, rummages in it for a moment, then closes it with a snap, "Here, you're going to want to read this."

Hedwig flicks through it quickly, skimming the pages. The ECN, though you get the impression it's actually the Polish military, has put forward a request for tender to various commercial companies, the French Aeronautical Society and PEAC. The request, in their own words:

"A self-guiding pilotless aircraft capable of delivering an explosive warhead autonomously across at least five hundred kilometres."​

"Found it?" Krystyna asks. When Hedwig grunts her assent, she continues, "You don't seem happy. Isn't this a chance for PEAC to prove itself?"

Hedwig's eyes dart up, delivering the officer a cold look,

"The program is already well on its way to doing that. We have no interest in making weapons." She regrets snapping but they had agreed. Nowak had no way of knowing that but still.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure you're going to have a lot of choices. Look at the last page."

Hedwig does and rolls her eyes when she finds Contre-Amiral Macron's signature appended to the documents.

"So it's orders for the civilians then." The bitterness is clear in her voice.

"We cannot escape them, dear Dyrektor."

When will you tell the team?
[ ] Before you leave for Sweden, and Arne once you arrive.
[ ] Once you're back from Sweden, once they're all together.

Deadline
Guided Missile: Incomplete
12 month Time Limit - October 1951
If the Mission has not been completed by the deadline, reduce the Program's refreshing budget pool by 25% permanently.
Clout can be expended to delay the deadline by 3 months per resource expended.

Politics
6 segment clock: The Korean War
Progress: 1/6
ECN troops gather in colonial holdings, preparing to force landings.
When the clock is filled, the political issue - whether it is a war, lobbying or anti-scientific sentiment on behalf of the politicians - is resolved.
Clout can be expended to add a segment to this clock without reducing the budget.

Flight Phase

Pre-Flight

Select Key Phases (select two):
[ ] Ignition! (Reliability)
[ ] Lift-Off (Stability)
[ ] Observation (Control)
[ ] Staging (Reliability)
[ ] Landing (Reliability)

Prestige Objective
First One Ever: Launch a Rocket. It does not need to be successful or complete any particular phase or mission.
Initial Reward: 1C
Repeat Reward: 0C

Scientific Objective
Aeronomy

• High Atmosphere: Carry a Basic System to between 50 and 100 km. Add +1 modifier to your next Research: Rocket roll or +1 Pre-Orbit Key Phases of the Programs next launch.

Photography
High Atmosphere: Carry a Basic System to between 50 and 100 km. Add +1 modifier to your next Undertake: Clout, Connections or Capital roll.

 

[4WheelSword]

Flight - VREDE Prototype, December 1950

"I've got good news and bad news," Hedwig says from her seat at the head of the conference table. Having a missing man made the room feel awfully large - she could imagine it being full one day, but for now it's just her, Dan and Apolline.

"I'll take good before bad." Dan answers, tapping his fingers on the table top in a staccato rhythm.

Apolline simply nods. It has been quiet without Dan and his engineers working all hours in the machine shops and it has left a slightly dour air around the complex.

"Good, then. Arne is at Kronogård and assembly is going well. Supplies are in place and we are on schedule for our first launch of the VREDE rocket - on that note, Dan, I still can't quite believe we called it that."

"I thought it had a certain multi-national air to it," he says with an unapologetic shrug and a broad grin, "Glad to hear Arne is taking well to the snow. It is snowing in Sweden, this time of year, isn't it?"

"It is December and Kronogård is almost inside the Arctic circle." Apolline jabs, though her expression is playful, "I would assume it's snowing, yes."

"You wrap up warm then Director, y'hear?" Dan wags a finger at Hedwig, "you haven't got that Nordic blood to see you through. Now what was the bad news?"

Hedwig sighs, tapping the thin folder on the table in front of her.

"We've had word from the top. The ECN wants a missile designed and they're asking us to do it."

Apolline lets out a hissing noise through her teeth. Dan puts his hands flat on the table just loud enough to make a sound.

"We agreed we weren't going to build weapons, not unless ordered. I know that, you both know that. Well, unfortunately, we've got orders."

A few moments of silence pass, the same dark mood settling back over the trio again. Finally, Dan breaks it.

"At least I'm not the one who has to tell Arne."

Mission​	Experimental Rocket​	Tier​	0​	Budget​	+2​
Objective​	Launch a rocket with an experimental payload that can reach fifty kilometres (50km) altitude.
Requirements​	A Basic Science payload. At least 1200m/s Delta/v.

The flight to Sweden was quick and easy. A chartered ECN military plane took her straight from Dublin to Luleå with only a brief stop in Denmark to refuel. Wrapped in a thick parka and heavy boots, Hedwig descends the steps of the Flamant while the props are still thundering behind her. It is late enough to be dark, with only the landing lights guiding her from aircraft to truck.

Arne, windswept and covered in a light dusting of snow, is standing by the open door to the Bedford with a steaming thermos in hand.

"Good flight, Miss?" He asks, ushering her into the truck before closing the door and hurrying around to the driver's seat. She waits until the door is closed before pulling down her hood and answering.

"It was quick, I'll say that much," she rubs her gloved hands against the metal of the thermos, wishing it would warm her.

"Well, things are proceeding well here. We've managed to assemble the rocket on the pad and we've managed a few dress rehearsals. There should be no delays," He glances over, meeting her eyes for the first time, "What's the matter?"

"I know what our next work is going to be."

"We haven't even flown this one yet," Arne laughs, fixing his attention back on the road, "Let me guess, Apolline wants to fly more experiments even higher. Or, no, a cargo delivery rocket. That seems suitably absurd."

"It's a missile. A weapon."

His head snaps sideways to look at her, his hands drifting on the steering wheel. It takes a moment for him to notice and the truck lurches as he pulls it back to the centre of the road.

"Oh."

VREDE	Control	Stability	Reliability	Mass​	Cost​
XRE-2	-2​	0​	-3​	0.1095M​	0.907C​
XBD-1	-1​	+1​	0​	0.28M​	0.065C​
SPP	0​	-1​	0​	0.057M​	0.43C​
Additional	0​	+2​	0​
Total on pad	-3​	+2​	-3​	0.447M​	1.402C​
Delta-V​	1,230m/s​	T/M Ratio​	3.85/1​	FN Ratio​	10​

Key Phases
- Lift-Off (Stability)
- Observation (Control)

Prestige Objective
First One Ever: Launch a Rocket. It does not need to be successful or complete any particular phase or mission.
Initial Reward: 1C
Repeat Reward: 0C

Scientific Objective
Aeronomy

• High Atmosphere: Carry a Basic System to between 50 and 100 km. Add +1 modifier to your next Research: Rocket roll or +1 Pre-Orbit Key Phases of the Programs next launch.

Photography

• High Atmosphere: Carry a Basic System to between 50 and 100 km. Add +1 modifier to your next Undertake: Clout, Connections or Capital roll.

In the early-morning half light, the framework supporting the VREDE rocket looks like a spiderweb of steel. The three-metre-tall vehicle stands upright in the centre of a fractal pattern of cables and wires and girders. As Hedwig watches from a kilometre away technicians scurry around, unhooking the last hoses and closing panels. Two trucks - one containing alcohol, the other liquid oxygen - roll away from the site slowly.

"We've finished our final checks, Miss Bräuner." Arne calls, leaning out of the back of the truck he's ensconced himself in. "Would you like to push the button?"

Hedwig takes a deep breath, looking at the rocket. This had the potential to be a great moment.

"No, Arne, you take it. I'd prefer to watch." She replies, burying her hands further in her pockets. She worries that if she took them out her nerves might be betrayed by them shaking.

She waits. Time passes. Then a voice - Arne's voice - gives a short countdown. Five seconds, shouted as loud as his lungs would allow.

There is a flash of light a kilometre away as the rocket engine beneath the VREDE ignites.

Roll Lift-Off; Stability: 2d10+2

Roll Observation; Control: 2d10-3

 

[4WheelSword]

Flight Conclusion - VREDE Prototype - December 1950

The rocket lifts from the pad spewing smoke from beneath its skirt. It ascends slowly at first but gathers pace far faster than Hedwig thought was possible. It is so large, one would have to expect it to lumber into the sky like an overloaded aircraft. Instead it is leaping into the sky like a hunting cat.

It rises faster and faster, shrinking in Hedwig's eyes until seemingly without reason it tilts to one side. Canted at an angle it speeds over the top of the assembled launch team and she has to turn to keep her eyes locked on it. With a hand shading her eyes she squints to keep her focus on it. For a moment she imagines she can see it vibrating, the roar of the rocket engine not muted by distance.

Roll Lift-Off: 6, Partial Failure

"That's… not right." she hears from inside the truck, just before there's a scurry of footsteps and Arne jumps down from the open rear doors. He presses a pair of binoculars to his eyes, tracking the progress of the rocket that is now rapidly growing distant.

"I assume this is not part of your flight plan?" Hedwig asks, as if she doesn't already know the answer.

"No, no, no!" Arne mutters to himself, still watching.

Hedwig can barely see the rocket, but it might be that she can see it tumbling distantly. The winking light of what should be a steady rocket plume certainly seems to indicate that that is the case.

"What do you think-" She begins to ask another question when she is interrupted. The distant light is replaced by the flash of an explosion. The sound didn't reach them for several seconds, a quiet but significant rumble.

"Well," Arne remarks, turning back to face her, "That could certainly have gone better."

Roll Observations: 10, Partial Failure

Mission Objective: Experimental Rocket - Failed
Prestige Objective: First One Ever - Success (Gain 1C bonus)
Scientific Objective: Aeronomy - Failed
Scientific Objective: Photography - Failed

Voting

You have one vote for each month, January through March, for a total of three votes. Please write your plan in the month-by-month order you would like the actions to occur or select one of the Staff Plans below.
The Current Budget (as of January 1951) is 6C
Construct
[ ] Build an Engine Test stand for a current or future Engine, paying the cost out of the current budget.
[ ] Write in the Fuel mixture and maximum size of the Engine or
[ ] Write in the Engine the Test stand is designed for
[ ] Build a Wind Tunnel, paying the cost out of the current budget.
[ ] Write in the maximum capacity in M of a subsonic tunnel
[ ] Write in the maximum capacity in M of a supersonic tunnel
[ ] Build a Launch Pad, paying the cost out of the current budget.
[ ] Write in the maximum Launch Vehicle size and the Fuel mixture it's intended for.

Design
[ ] An Engine for a future mission - Write in the details
[ ] A Booster for a future mission - Write in the details
[ ] A payload for a future mission - Write in the details

Plan
[ ] Plan a Mission using a currently available Engine, Booster and Payload.

Order
[ ] Order a planned Launch Vehicle and pay the cost out of the current budget

Schedule
[ ] Schedule a mission using a Launch Vehicle that is currently available.

Research
[ ] Research: Fuel variations and derivatives
[ ] Research: Payload components and modules
[ ] Research: Electronics and guidance
[ ] Research: Rocket and booster improvements

Undertake
[ ] Attempt to gain Clout to retain budget during the military crisis or to delay the deadline.

Staff plans
[ ] Plan: Arne the Engineer - Try, try again
[ ] Order VREDE
[ ] Order VREDE
[ ] If possible, Schedule VREDE launch
[ ] Plan: Dan the Deputy - Multi-mission profile
[ ] Order VREDE
[ ] Design Engine - Advanced VREDE Engine
[ ] Design Payload - Guided Missile

Voting will open in six hours to encourage discussion. This has been a big month in an even bigger year and it's time to think about what is to come. Congratulations to you all for your first flight even if it didn't go right.

 

[4WheelSword]

January 1951 - Research

"What actually happened to VREDE?" Hedwig asks the assembled group. She and the rest of her team were back in Dublin and had been for a little over a week. While she had flown back almost immediately after the attempt, Arne had joined a search team to find some of the larger pieces of the explosively deconstructed rocket.

The Swede let out a long sigh that was filled with the suffering of an engineer who has had to spend several sleepless nights assessing broken pieces of his favourite toy.

"It exploded. Obviously." he reaches up to scratch his forehead idly, "There's some indications, from recordings taken during the flight and measurements taken afterwards, that it suffered a fuel leak a few seconds in. Frustrating, but not terminal, unless that leaked fuel made it to the rocket plume without evaporating."

"That sounds like-" Hewig starts.

"We think that's exactly what happened, yes." he finishes, putting his hands down flat on the table. "Is it something we can resolve? Certainly. But it is essentially the same problem we had during the engine test, remember? I think we need to improve our building standards more than anything else."

"We'll figure it out," Dan leans over in his chair, slapping the other man on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it right now. Anything else, Director?" He asks Hedwig. She shakes her head and Dan makes ready to leave.

"Oh, Dan, Arne?" Apolline raises a hand, holding them in place, "I've been thinking about the ECN's request for a missile."

Arne's lip curled in an expression that said everything he needed to say without a single word. Dan sinks back into his chair with a huff of gentle protest.

"I don't think there's a single way out of a direct order from on high, not from a participating government." Hedwig offers in an attempt to brush off any forthcoming arguments in favour of ignoring the request.

"No, no, I agree. Consider though - if we make the minimum viable rocket for the military contract, we will have performed adequately and we will have new equipment with which to make scientific launches. I believe we can squeeze significantly higher performance out of a totally new design rather than an upgrade to the VREDE design."

There is a beat of silence as the three listeners attempt to digest everything that has been said. Eventually, leaning forwards with his eyes sparkling, Arne breaks the quiet,

"I'm in. Let's get to work."

Arne and Dan left swiftly, a fire lit under them. Apolline, however, stayed behind and when Hedwig made to follow the two men she held up a finger.

"We were busy over Christmas. I was entrenched in my work and you were flying off to Sweden to watch a rocket explode." Apolline began, "I don't know whether you celebrate the birth of Christ, but I didn't think there would be any harm in buying you a gift."

She placed a small, flat box on the table and got up, walking towards Hedwig. Keeping her hand on the package meant it slid slowly around to the head of the conference table until it was right in front of her senior.

Fingers caught hold of Hedwig's chin, lifting it just enough the Apolline could look her in the eyes. She smiled and with a tremor of adrenaline and excitement Hedwig smiled back. Then the older woman leaned down, placing a tender kiss first on one cheek, then the other. With the second, she whispered;

"New perfume, ma chérie? It suits you." Apolline says with a knowing look, "Merry Christmas."

The French woman stands and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her with an impossibly declarative click. It takes Hedwig a few moments to remember to breathe, and a minute more to realise the present is still sitting unopened in front of her. Slowly, cautiously, as if it could vanish if she moves too quickly, Hedwig unwraps it. From within she pulls a delicately soft, tantalisingly sheer silk scarf. Wrapping it around her neck she lifts it to her nose and breathes in the now familiar floral scent.

It smells like Apolline.

Roll 2d10+Fortune

February 1951 - Design, Engine

"I'm afraid I don't have anything particularly exciting for you." Arne says, meeting her outside the draughting room for a catch-up and a cigarette, "We are really in the earliest stages of planning right now."

"Just catch me up on where you're at." Hedwig said, gesturing with a box of matches.

"We've gotten to work integrating some of the solutions that Apolline's team has come up with. A dual-impingement injector system will improve fuel mixing before it properly ignites and we're going to see a lot of benefits from that alone."

He began to ramble and Hedwig could only listen, smiling. Arne was a good engineer, a great one even, but he was liable to moods. It was a problem that had only worsened after the VREDE launch. Letting him run his mouth about technical problems was a sure fire way to get him smiling.

"On the other hand though, while a fifteen kilo-newton engine is about the smallest we're going to want to go in terms of launch stability, we could drop as low as ten kay-enn and maintain a positive thrust to mass ratio. I bet I could put together a design for an engine that weighs no more than fifty kilos. Might have to drop the carbon vanes though."

XRE-3-Maxi	Fuel Density	Mass Flow	Isp	Thrust	Mass	Cost
Engine	1000kg/M	0.013M/s	213s	20.4kN	0.101M	0.887C
Control​	Reliability​	Stability​
0​	-2​	0​
Multi-feed cycle, Dual-impingement injector (75%), Atmospheric nozzle, Alc(7.5%)/LOX fuel, Carbon Vanes, Semi-Cryogenic

XRE-4-Midi	Fuel Density	Mass Flow	Isp	Thrust	Mass	Cost
Engine	1000kg/M	0.01M/s	213s	15.7kN	0.078M	0.696C
Control​	Reliability​	Stability​
0​	-2​	0​
Multi-feed cycle, Dual-impingement injector (75%), Atmospheric nozzle, Alc(7.5%)/LOX fuel, Carbon Vanes, Semi-Cryogenic

XRE-5-Mini	Fuel Density	Mass Flow	Isp	Thrust	Mass	Cost
Engine	1000kg/M	0.007M/s	213s	11kN	0.05M	0.436C
Control​	Reliability​	Stability​
-1​	-2​	0​
Multi-feed cycle, Dual-impingement injector (75%), Atmospheric nozzle, Alc(7.5%)/LOX fuel, Semi-Cryogenic

Select an Engine for continuation:
[ ] Go for Maximum Up with the XRE-3
[ ] A fine, intermediate design with the XRE-4
[ ] Minimum cost, minimum weight with the XRE-5

Roll 2d10+Engineer

March 1951 - Design, Booster

"What do you think about it?" Dan asks after a few minutes of silence.

They are walking across the complex together, doing one of their regular tours of the PEAC campus to ensure they stay connected to everything that's happening.

"Hmm? What do I think about what?"

"About this missile project. About building weapons. PEAC is supposed to be, well, peaceful. A scientific research endeavour. You must have some feelings about it."

"I-" Hedwig starts, before catching herself. Then she thinks, really thinks about her feelings for a few seconds. It has been so easy to just go along with things, to marvel at the things her staff are producing. And she realises that her objections are paper thin. "Every flight we undertake, every rocket we build, is a step closer to going to space. If the price of sending a person up to look at the stars is that I am implicated in building weapons that will safeguard Europe then so be it. A missile is simply a means to an end."

"And the others-"

"I respect Arnes objection. I meant it when I said I would wait for orders to build anything like that. Unfortunately, we now have our orders."

"Hmm." Dan scratches his chin thoughtfully, looking into the middle distance. She worries for a moment that she has upset him until he turns to her smiling, "Did you know 'vrede' means 'wrath' in norwegian?"

XBD-2	Mass	Cost
400 kg Fuel	0.4
Stainless Steel Tank	0.027	0.0027
Radio Direction for 0.75M Launch Vehicle	0.016	0.032
Totals:	0.443M	0.0347C
Additional Stats: +1 Control

XBD-3	Mass	Cost
400 kg Fuel	0.4
Heavy Duty Tank	0.04	0.002
Asymmetric Fins for 0.75M Launch Vehicle	0.008	0.0008
Radio Direction for 0.75M Launch Vehicle	0.016	0.032
Totals:	0.464M	0.0348C
Additional Stats: +1 Control, +1 Stability, +1 Reliability

Select a Booster for continuation:
[ ] Mass Penalties are small at this scale, XBD-3
[ ] If it's lighter we get more payload, XBD-2
[ ] Write in

Roll 2d10+Engineer