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Per Aspera (Space Agency Plan Quest)

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Zimmerwald1915 said:
Early RTGs were on the order of .1kg, so if there's ~7kg of Pu238 in the device, and we can recover and repurpose all of it, and if we don't use it for anything else, we'll have a good 60 to 70 uses.
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Wrong plutonium isotope.

Pu-238 is the big, friendly red plutonium used in RTG's.
Pu-239 is the explody kind we have.
 
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I don't think I would have predicted "space agency becomes a nuclear weapons power" for this quest when it started, exactly, but we roll with what we get.

Fantastic update, though, despite the setbacks. We may want to shelve the ACO for next turn in favor of building our support back up so we can "afford" the hit when we move in for completion.
 
There are a variety of perfectly valid (and peaceful) scientific subjects that could benefit from the use of a nuclear weapon. You just have to find them.

Orion drives come to mind, amongst a fair few others.
 
Etranger said:
Bureaucratic empire-building and constant reorganizations culminate in a Yes Minister scene where Penelope is informed that she's now overseeing space exploration, the nuclear arsenal, and all missile development.
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> proceeds to develop an integrated plan to store spent nuclear material beneath the homes of the WCC's collective leadership so as to be relieved of the responsibility.
 
CyberEnby said:
Oh damn, 239 is less radioactive so it's not as good for RTGs.

What the heck are we supposed to use it for?
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Could convert it to a small nuclear power system, like the Soviet TOPAZ reactors. But that's decades out.

Or we could blow it up in an interesting fashion. High altitude detonations, holding people hostage unless they give in to our villainous masterplan, big nuclear space gun...
Stuff like that.
 
Etranger said:
Bureaucratic empire-building and constant reorganizations culminate in a Yes Minister scene where Penelope is informed that she's now overseeing space exploration, the nuclear arsenal, and all missile development.
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Unless the postal service is looking into rocket propelled mail delivery, I suspect we already are in charge of the last one. Not a whole lot of peacetime uses for missiles outside of our existing purview.
 
Just off the top of my head: material science is an easy initial research - some of it is probably just 'expose this sample to extreme conditions'. Meteorology is also good since it's something everyone can see why its useful. For a second base, I say SE Asia to prop up support. Else somewhere suitable for polar launches.
 
Dragontrapper said:
Just off the top of my head: material science is an easy initial research - some of it is probably just 'expose this sample to extreme conditions'. Meteorology is also good since it's something everyone can see why its useful. For a second base, I say SE Asia to prop up support. Else somewhere suitable for polar launches.
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Teba, Indonesia (I'm not sure which one, there's one on the southern tip of Sumatra and one on the north coast of Papua) volunteered to be a launch site last time, but both are equatorial sites, more or less. As would basically anywhere in Southeast Asia be. And we already have one of those.
 
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October 1st, 1951//Q4 1951
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    • The last quarter of the year had arrived with a slightly terrifying speed. It seemed like just a couple of weeks ago, you had become the director of an IEC that was little more than a huddle of small buildings clustered by a launchpad that was little more than a parking lot. The launchpad hadn't changed much, but everything else had. So much done, so quickly.

    The yearly budget negotiations were little more than three months away. This would, of course, be the IEC's first go at them. You were fairly confident you old swing a better budget out of the negotiations, thanks to the nigh-heroic efforts of everyone in the IEC. But compromises and promises might need to be made.

    It would be interesting, if nothing else.

    Resources:
    160 (+55R/turn)
    55 Political Support
    1x 22kt Mark 4 Atomic Bomb(?!?!?!)

    Facilities:
    1 Launch Stand (0-5 tonne) (+1 Operations die)
    1 Assembly Complex (+1 Build Capacity)
    1 Engineer's Hall (+2 Engineering Dice)
    1 University Affiliate (+2 Science Dice)
    1 Materials Lab (+5 bonus to projects tagged [MATSCI])
    1 Chemical Plant (+5 bonus to projects tagged [CHEM])
    1 Electronics Cooperative (+5 bonus to projects tagged [AVIONICS])
    1 Construction Union Hall (+1 Facilities die)
    1 Publications Office (+1 to all science and engineering fields; coinflip each year to get an additional +1)
    1 Hardened Tracking and Observation (T&O) Complex (+3 to Operations)
    1 Engine Test Stand (+2 to PROP projects)

    Scientific Advances (name TBD)
    Improved Instrumentation (Gain +1d2 bonus to a random field every 2 launches. Gain +1 to AVIONICS immediately.)
    Regenerative Cooling (Starts down the path to more powerful and advanced rocket engines
    Second Stages - Can now build 2-Stage Sounding Rockets
    Combustion Instability Research - Turns the initial success roll for a rocket from a >60 to >50.

    Scientific/Engineering Specific Field Bonuses
    AERO - +3
    AVIONICS - +6
    CHEM - +7
    CREW - +0
    COMP - +0
    MATSCI - +5
    PHYS - +0
    PROP - +4

    Penelope Carter [The Director] - [+10 to Politics rolls, +2 Politics die, +5R/turn in funding from Connections, reroll 1 failed politics roll per turn]

    Sergei Korolev - [+5 to Science and Engineering rolls (unless researching [HGOL][FUEL] projects, then it becomes a -15), +1 Science dice, +1 Engineering Dice. Request: Build an Orbital Rocket within 5 years; build a Scientific Complex in former Ukraine within 10 years.]

    Operations (1 dice, +3 bonus)

    [] Construct a Sounding Rocket -     Standard Sounding rocket launches are now something of an old hat. Still perfectly useful, of course, and they're not actually that old, but the two stage rockets have stolen some of their thunder. (15R per dice, 0/40, costs 1 Build Capacity until complete)
    -[] And launch it (free action for Sounding Rockets) (gains Scientific Data, launch experience, results to show the people funding you)

    [] Construct a 2-Stage Sounding Rocket - The IEC's engineers and scientists have come up with a moderately reliable stage separation system for multi-stage rockets. Moderately as in "It worked the first time", anyway. It could use more development. But it does go higher and further, staying in space longer... so it is worth it. (20R per dice, 0/50, costs 1 Build Capacity until complete)
    -[] And launch it (free action for Sounding Rockets) (gains Scientific Data, launch experience, results to show the people funding you)

    Facilities (1 dice, +0 bonus)

    [ ] Construct a Hangar Complex -     A group of pilots and engineers approached you with the idea of constructing a spaceplane. Such an endeavour would surely benefit the construction of normal aircraft as well, making it a potentially easy sell to the People's Forum. First, though, the IEC would need a place to actually, well, build them. (10R per die, 0/100, allows constructing spaceplane prototypes)

    [ ] Construct a Runway - A 6 kilometer long strip of concrete and tarmac to launch and land air-and-spacecraft from, and the control towers and radars to supplement it. (10R per die, 0/150, allows for launching and landing air and spacecraft)

    [ ] Construct a Heavy Sounding Rocket launch site - Your current launch stand isn't up to the task of launching a much bigger rocket than it currently does, being little more than a repurposed parking lot. The launch area could use reinforcement, thicker concrete and rebar and the like, maybe a flame trench to divert the rocket's exhaust away from it. Your engineers have enough guesstimates from the ones who want to make the Heavy Sounding Rocket that they feel confident enough to tell you they can make a pad that can handle it. (15R per die, 0/60, allows launch of the Heavy Sounding Rocket and theoretical derivatives up to 30 tons)

    [ ] Construct a Wind Tunnel - In order to do advanced studies on the shape of air and spacecraft at various speeds, you'll need a safe space that you can push a lot of air into, quickly. You've been assured by literally everyone involved that this will be useful. Personally, you're half-convinced it's just the air/spaceplane research crowd looking for every possible excuse to acquire jet engines and jet engine parts. But… (10R per die, 0/80, +3 to projects labeled AERO)

    Engineering (3 dice, +6 Bonus to All)

    [ ] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Heavy Sounding Rocket) [AERO] -     Your small sounding rockets are, well, they work, but they're not as high-performing as you'd like. During the Third Great War, the Empire used a thirteen-tonne rocket as a terror weapon against civilians; that rocket is, approximately, thirteen times as large as the ones you are using, and able to fly at least three times as high, based on your people's calculations. They think they can recreate the design using notes seized from the ruins of the Empire's rocket complex. (5R per die, 0/80, unlocks Heavy Sounding Rocket (and a naming vote because that's unwieldy))

    [ ] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Spaceplane Development) [AERO] - If you're going to be building spaceplanes, it would be a good idea to develop a working design to build in that hangar the spaceplane gang had wanted. Your engineers were talking about things like payload fraction and use cases and aerodynamic loading - all of which went more or less over your head but it certainly seemed they knew what they were about. (5R per die, 0/100, unlocks Prototype Spaceplane)

    [ ] Conduct Design Studies (Alternative Launch Systems) [AERO, PHYS] - Still more of your engineers were talking about investigating different ways of potentially getting to space. Jules Verne stuff. Big guns and space towers and the like. You didn't think them likely to work, but having the knowledge wouldn't hurt. (5R per die, 0/300, ???)

    [ ] Engine Cycles (Tech) [MATSCI, CHEM, PROP] - There are, apparently, a great many ways to power a rocket. The basic function of all rocket engines is fundamentally the same - combine something that burns well with an oxidizer and combust them in such a way as to generate a great deal of pressure, and then force that flaming pressure wave out of the combustion area in a manner that causes it to impart force in a direction you desire. However, the specifics of how that all happens is, apparently, a wide-open field for the IEC to play in, and the teams have ideas. (10R per die, 0/250, unlocks further engine development options)

    [ ] Advanced Concepts Office - A group of scientists and engineers have come to you asking to staff an Advanced Concepts Office, whose entire function seems to be dreaming up things you could do in space. Space stations, giant spacecraft, the works. (5R and -5 PS per die, 51/150, will occasionally provide a new Program to pursue based on brainstorming and priorities)

    Science (3 dice, +6 Bonus to All)

    [ ] Exploratory Propellant Research (Phase 1) [CHEM]     - A group of chemists attached to the IEC came to you with a proposal to conduct an exhaustive campaign characterizing just about as many propellants as they could come up with. While expensive, and dangerous, and potentially deadly, the knowledge gained could also be invaluable for nailing down mixtures and ratios of fuels that could help the IEC achieve its objectives. (15R per dice, 0/150, unlocks fuel mixtures and further fuel development)

    [ ] Tracking Station Surveys - In order to support tracking and communication with long-range and orbital rocketry and experiments, you would need a network of tracking stations placed basically across the world. A survey would be conducted to find the most opportune locations for tracking station placement, prior to construction. This could give you some leverage in the People's Forum, too. (5R per dice, 0/150, unlocks Tracking Station Construction project for Facilities)

    [ ] Research Program Outreach - Some of your scientists have brought up the idea of reaching out to their peers in other fields to canvas them for interest in conducting experiments in space. You will, of course, need better rockets for many of the experiments they'd want, but maybe that outreach, if properly funded, could net you some more helping hands. (10R per dice, 81/120, gives +2 bonus to 1d4 research areas (including engineering))

    [ ] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 1) - Better alloys would lead to higher-performing engines and lighter rockets, you were told. All you had to do was authorize the resource expenditure to start testing materials. (15R per die, 0/150, provides access to aluminum structures)

    [ ] Weather Studies (Phase 1) - Your scientists have come to you proposing to use sounding rockets to take measurements of the atmosphere at altitude in order to improve your knowledge of weather phenomena. They can also construct a network of sensors across any future IEC sites, too. This sounds like a great idea. (10R per die, requires a Sounding Rocket, 0/80, unlocks weather science) (+5 PS on complete)

    Politics (3 dice, +10 bonus, reroll 1 failure per turn)

    Political

    [ ] Council Liaison Office - Given the… hectic nature of truly democratic governance, keeping up with all the goings on in the World Communal Council is a bit much, even for you, and there's no guarantee your successor would have your exact same skills and savvy. Thus, a Liaison Office whose entire job was to keep up with goings-on in the Council and brief the Director and Assistant Director was probably a good idea. (5R, establishes a Council Liaison Office, provides details on the state of Council funding priorities, budget, infrastructure status, etc.)

    [ ] Bothering Councilors - The year's budget is set, but next year's is very much not. You can influence investment priorities if you want to apply enough political pressure to the right people to convince them to fund, say, better roads out of Mogadishu… elementary and secondary schools in Africa… that kind of thing. (-10 PS, roll a quality dice to give options for influencing infrastructure funding, triggers subvote)

    [ ] There is Power in a Union - The PAO says you should expand your physical footprint so more people can interact with the IEC. It sounds like a great idea, but to do that you'll need to contract another construction worker's union. (0/100, 5R per dice, -5 PS on completion. Gain +1 Facilities dice, +5 to Facilities rolls)

    Outreach

    [ ] Rocket Boxes (Phase I) - The initial run of Rocket Boxes to the schools in Mogadishu has been enough of a success to merit further deployment of Rocket Boxes abroad. With a bit of investment of resources, you can get enough Rocket Boxes assembled to expand the net to the rest of Africa. (5R per die, 102/200. Gives Rocket Boxes to every middle-school, high-school and university or equivalent in Africa. Encourages future African scientists and engineers - some of whom will even come work with the IEC.)

    [ ] Rocket Reels - The test footage the IEC produces for scientific value can be easily copied and turned into high-octane spectacle for the purposes of swaying the public's opinion and imagination. The best part is, the more rocket launches you do, the better your reels get. (5R per die, 0/120, gain a coinflip for 1 additional Political Support per quarter; successful rocket launches give you an additional coin flip for each launch.)

    [ ] Space For All - The PAO survey revealed that most people just… don't think about space with any regularity, if at all. The best and most common way for people to get into it seems to be as children, getting their imaginations fired by comic books and science fiction and the occasional radio drama or movie. The PAO proposes developing a set of educational films and television shows aimed at all age groups to tell them about the amazing wonders of the universe and what we can accomplish in it. (5R, 0/120, +10PS on completion, ???)
     
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    • Zimmerwald1915 said:
    Teba, Indonesia (I'm not sure which one, there's one on the southern tip of Sumatra and one on the north coast of Papua) volunteered to be a launch site last time, but both are equatorial sites, more or less. As would basically anywhere in Southeast Asia be. And we already have one of those.
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    I am well aware; its basically a question of if doubling-up on Equatorial access is worth the potential political gain.

    also, us having a nuke reminds me of an old meme:
     
    Should we take Bothering Councilors this turn? It is the last quarter before next year's budget comes down, so if we take it after this turn it would apply to the budget two years from now.
     
    [] Plan: A Rocket to Surpass the Metal Gear

    Resources: 95/160

    Operations (1 dice, +3 bonus)
    -[] Construct a 2-Stage Sounding Rocket -     (20R per dice, 0/50, costs 1 Build Capacity until complete)
    --[] And launch it (free action for Sounding Rockets) (gains Scientific Data, launch experience, results to show the people funding you)

    Let's test our shiny two stage rockets.

    Facilities (1 dice, +0 bonus)
    -[] Construct a Heavy Sounding Rocket launch site     - (15R per die, 0/60, allows launch of the Heavy Sounding Rocket and theoretical derivatives up to 30 tons)

    I've come around on the need to start working on heavier rockets if we want to make Korolev's Mandate. Let's built a heavy launch pad in tandem with creating a heavy sounding rocket so that we can launch it next turn if the dice are good.

    Engineering (3 dice, +6 Bonus to All)
    -[] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Heavy Sounding Rocket) [AERO] -     (5R per die, 0/80, unlocks Heavy Sounding Rocket (and a naming vote because that's unwieldy))

    As I say above, let's start working towards orbital launch vehicles.

    -[] (2 Dice) Advanced Concepts Office - (5R and -5 PS per die, 51/150, will occasionally provide a new Program to pursue based on brainstorming and priorities)

    Gotta finish this up. Two dice so we can start getting proposals in.

    Science (3 dice, +6 Bonus to All)
    -[] Research Program Outreach -     (10R per dice, 81/120, gives +2 bonus to 1d4 research areas (including engineering))

    Another option we should finish off.

    -[] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 1) - Better alloys would lead to higher-performing engines and lighter rockets, you were told. All you had to do was authorize the resource expenditure to start testing materials. (15R per die, 0/150, provides access to aluminum structures)

    Material science is going to have broad appeal, so starting this would be very helpful to selling our program to the Council.

    -[] Weather Studies (Phase 1) - Your scientists have come to you proposing to use sounding rockets to take measurements of the atmosphere at altitude in order to improve your knowledge of weather phenomena. They can also construct a network of sensors across any future IEC sites, too. This sounds like a great idea. (10R per die, requires a Sounding Rocket, 0/80, unlocks weather science) (+5 PS on complete)

    I want us to have something to show the Council when it comes time for a new budget.

    Politics (3 dice, +10 bonus, reroll 1 failure per turn)
    -[] Council Liaison Office -     Given the… hectic nature of truly democratic governance, keeping up with all the goings on in the World Communal Council is a bit much, even for you, and there's no guarantee your successor would have your exact same skills and savvy. Thus, a Liaison Office whose entire job was to keep up with goings-on in the Council and brief the Director and Assistant Director was probably a good idea. (5R, establishes a Council Liaison Office, provides details on the state of Council funding priorities, budget, infrastructure status, etc.)

    Autocomplete option that gives us as better idea of what's going on as we head into our end of year funding period.

    -[] Bothering Councilors - The year's budget is set, but next year's is very much not. You can influence investment priorities if you want to apply enough political pressure to the right people to convince them to fund, say, better roads out of Mogadishu… elementary and secondary schools in Africa… that kind of thing. (-10 PS, roll a quality dice to give options for influencing infrastructure funding, triggers subvote)

    Another auto-complete option that does sap our PS, but it looks like we have projects that raise it without too much issue, and it would be good to show the communities that bid to have us establish a space centre here that we can deliver on the promise of helping them develop. Having a good rep on the continent would go a long way to ensure that there's always voices on the world council who would advocate for us.

    Outreach
    -[] Rocket Boxes (Phase I) - (5R per die, 102/200. Gives Rocket Boxes to every middle-school, high-school and university or equivalent in Africa. Encourages future African scientists and engineers - some of whom will even come work with the IEC.)

    We might even finish this off with a (very) lucky roll.
     
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    Shadows said:
    [ ] Weather Studies (Phase 1) - Your scientists have come to you proposing to use sounding rockets to take measurements of the atmosphere at altitude in order to improve your knowledge of weather phenomena. They can also construct a network of sensors across any future IEC sites, too. This sounds like a great idea. (10R per die, requires a Sounding Rocket, 0/80, unlocks weather science) (+5 PS on complete)
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    Are we allowed to use the two-stage on this or is it specifically the normal variant?
     
    Threw together a quick plan, then counted up that it would cost 110R. :confused: The resource crunch in this quest is real. (And we've been focusing on actual science over bigger publicity, so.)
     
    [] Plan PS Conscious
    -[] Operations (1 dice, +3 bonus)
    --[] Construct a 2-Stage Sounding Rocket 1 die 20R 0/50 54%
    ---[] And launch it 50%
    -[] Facilities (1 dice, +0 bonus)
    --[] Construct a Heavy Sounding Rocket launch site 1 die 15R 0/60 41%
    -[] Engineering (3 dice, +6 Bonus to All)
    --[] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Heavy Sounding Rocket) [AERO] 1 die 5R 0/80 30%
    --[] Engine Cycles (Tech) [MATSCI, CHEM, PROP] 1 die 20R 0/250 (1/3.5 dice median chance)
    -[] Science (3 dice, +6 Bonus to All)
    --[] Research Program Outreach 1 die 10R 81/120 68%
    --[] Weather Studies (Phase 1) 2 die 20R 0/80 78%
    -[] Politics (3 dice, +10 bonus, reroll 1 failure per turn)
    --[] Council Liaison Office 1 die 5R Auto
    --[] Bothering Councilors 1 die -10 PS Auto
    --[] Rocket Boxes (Phase I) 1 die 5R 100/200 11%
    -[] Total: 100R/160R, -10/55 PS

    The idea here is to save PS for use in budget negotiations, and hopefully gain a bit more from the Weather Studies. I put two dice there because as a Phased project, any extra progress from putting a second die there won't go to waste. Unfortunately, we don't have the 2 dice needed for Rocket Reels or Space For All this turn. (As for the 100R, if our budget doesn't change than next turn we'll have 115R, which is plenty enough for a while.)
     
    I like both plans suggested so far overall, and this one is fairly similar to them. I am making two assumptions about the upcoming end-of-year: that since our PS is probably not going to be much higher than it was and we don't have a lot of direct results or new needs to show, we probably won't get much of a budget increase; and that we want to husband PS carefully beforehand to get what we can. Thus, this plan tries to save PS to stay neutral and money to stretch our windfall longer as we move into larger rockets.

    The plan skimps on the two-stage rocket and an engineering die to save R and PS that aren't totally necessary, and goes for Rocket Reels rather than Bothering Councilors because we're taking another action to give back to Africa specifically and also to save PS. Rocket Reels before Space for All because it's passive and also provides useful film materials for the latter.

    I view Materials Science as important to start alongside Weather Studies basically because there's no way we're going to space without it, so slow-rolling it for our next iteration seems prudent. It also unlocks more ways to build lighter-weight rockets.

    [ ] Plan: A PS-Conscious, Budget-Conscious Rocket
    Total: -90R, -5 PS
    Operations (1/1 Dice, 15R)
    [] Construct a Sounding Rocket     (15R per dice, 0/40, costs 1 Build Capacity until complete)
    -[] And launch it (free action for Sounding Rockets) (gains Scientific Data, launch experience, results to show the people funding you)
    -[] Launch it only as part of Weather Studies, don't launch it if that action isn't ready
    Facilities (1/1 Dice, 15R)
    -[ ] Construct a Heavy Sounding Rocket launch site (15R per die, 0/60, allows launch of the Heavy Sounding Rocket and theoretical derivatives up to 30 tons)
    Engineering (2/3 Dice, 10R)
    [ ] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Heavy Sounding Rocket) (5R per die, 0/80, unlocks Heavy Sounding Rocket (and a naming vote because that's unwieldy))
    [ ] Advanced Concepts Office (5R and -5 PS per die, 51/150, will occasionally provide a new Program to pursue based on brainstorming and priorities)
    Science (3/3 Dice, 35R)
    [ ] Research Program Outreach (10R per dice, 81/120, gives +2 bonus to 1d4 research areas (including engineering))
    [ ] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 1) (15R per die, 0/150, provides access to aluminum structures)
    [ ] Weather Studies (Phase 1) (10R per die, requires a Sounding Rocket, 0/80, unlocks weather science) (+5 PS on complete)
    Politics (3/3 Dice, 15R)
    [ ] Council Liaison Office (5R, establishes a Council Liaison Office, provides details on the state of Council funding priorities, budget, infrastructure status, etc.)
    [ ] Rocket Boxes (Phase I) (5R per die, 102/200. Gives Rocket Boxes to every middle-school, high-school and university or equivalent in Africa. Encourages future African scientists and engineers - some of whom will even come work with the IEC.)
    [ ] Rocket Reels (5R per die, 0/120, gain a coinflip for 1 additional Political Support per quarter; successful rocket launches give you an additional coin flip for each launch.)
     
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