I view getting started on materials research and keeping PS spending this turn lowish as very important, so both of these plans do that.
My preferred plan, Plan: A PS-Conscious, Budget-Conscious Aluminum Rocket, takes a pessimistic view of the upcoming budget negotiations and skimps on anything not necessary in the short term to try to stretch out our current surplus longer.
If it turns out people are more worried about dice efficiency, Plan: A PS-Conscious Aluminum Rocket spends more R and PS to use a two-stage sounding rocket for the weather program and keep all Engineering dice in play. That said, I think we're looking at having more dice than resources in the immediate future so the first plan is my pick.
[X] Plan: A PS-Conscious, Budget-Conscious Aluminum Rocket
Total: -90R, -5 PS
Operations (1/1 Dice, 15R)
[X] Construct a Sounding Rocket (15R per dice, 0/40, costs 1 Build Capacity until complete)
-[X] Launch it only as part of Weather Studies, don't launch it if that action isn't ready
Facilities (1/1 Dice, 15R)
-[X] 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)
-[X] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Heavy Sounding Rocket) (5R per die, 0/80, unlocks Heavy Sounding Rocket (and a naming vote because that's unwieldy))
-[X] 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)
-[X] Research Program Outreach (10R per dice, 81/120, gives +2 bonus to 1d4 research areas (including engineering))
-[X] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 1) (15R per die, 0/150, provides access to aluminum structures)
-[X] 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)
-[X] Council Liaison Office (5R, establishes a Council Liaison Office, provides details on the state of Council funding priorities, budget, infrastructure status, etc.)
-[X] 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.)
-[X] 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.)
[X] Plan: A PS-Conscious Aluminum Rocket
Total: -100R, -10 PS
Operations (1/1 Dice, 20R)
-[X] 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)
-[X] Launch it only as part of Weather Studies, don't launch it if that action isn't ready
Facilities (1/1 Dice, 15R)
-[X] 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 (3/3 Dice, 15R)
-[X] Conduct Design Studies (Platform) (Heavy Sounding Rocket) (5R per die, 0/80, unlocks Heavy Sounding Rocket (and a naming vote because that's unwieldy))
-[X] (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)
Science (3/3 Dice, 35R)
-[X] Research Program Outreach (10R per dice, 81/120, gives +2 bonus to 1d4 research areas (including engineering))
-[X] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 1) (15R per die, 0/150, provides access to aluminum structures)
-[X] 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)
-[X] Council Liaison Office (5R, establishes a Council Liaison Office, provides details on the state of Council funding priorities, budget, infrastructure status, etc.)
-[X] 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.)
-[X] 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.)
