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Per Aspera (Space Agency Plan Quest)

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chaotic-logic said:
can we just pour dice into the balloon tanks next turn?
just more than what would be needed to finish them?
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No, we have a promise to finish materials research 5 and we're not doing too hot on it (we'd expect to have got the same progress from only 3 dice).

We're guaranteed to finish it with one more die roll, since we have a +26 modifier to it and only have 21 progress left.

Ofc, with our luck, we'll roll a 99.
 
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Man luck is just the worst even with the n100 on matscience that is still far below average, and we might not finish Mat science 5 (pretty likely at this point), due to having to throw a dice at big ear.
 
Skjadir said:
Man luck is just the worst even with the n100 on matscience that is still far below average, and we might not finish Mat science 5 (pretty likely at this point), due to having to throw a dice at big ear.
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I'm sorry, how big a project do you think Matsci 5 is here? 700 progress? We have 138 points of overflow on the project, so Matsci 5 has 9 possible dice and starts from 138 points, and every die we assign is an average of 76-77 points.

With this many dice left, we have a decent chance of completing matsci 5 even if it's 800 progress. If it's 500 progress, we can complete it even wtih just 7 dice that average rolling 30. There is not a significant risk of failing to complete Materials Science 5 because we are 'far below average' on our rolls. Big Ear is 1 die, it will not affect these numbers significantly.
 
Vehrec said:
I'm sorry, how big a project do you think Matsci 5 is here? 700 progress? We have 138 points of overflow on the project, so Matsci 5 has 9 possible dice and starts from 138 points, and every die we assign is an average of 76-77 points.

With this many dice left, we have a decent chance of completing matsci 5 even if it's 800 progress. If it's 500 progress, we can complete it even wtih just 7 dice that average rolling 30. There is not a significant risk of failing to complete Materials Science 5 because we are 'far below average' on our rolls. Big Ear is 1 die, it will not affect these numbers significantly.
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Agreed. As much as I want to finish matsci early, I'm not worried about it getting done at this point.
 
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June 30th, 1955//Q2 1955 Results
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan: Rational Assessment, Reasonable Solutions
    -[X] Construct an R-4 Dawn (17/120) (2 dice, -70R)
    --[X] And launch it (1 die)
    --[X] Curiosity-class Satellite (1 die, -20R)
    -[X] Launch the stockpiled R-4 (1 die)
    --[X] Curiosity-class Satellite (stockpiled)
    -[X] Build a Scientific Complex
    --[X] Beijing Institute for Chemical Research (CHEM) (187/450) (3 dice, -75R)
    --[X] New Delhi Institute for Physics (PHYS) (178/450) (3 dice, -75R)
    -[X] Big Ear [PHYS] (209/300) (1 die, -20R)
    -[X] Spacefarer Training Facilities (113/300) (1 die, -15R)
    -[X] Observation Satellites (2/4 turns) (1 die, -15R)
    -[X] Human-rated Rocketry (2/8 turns) (1 die, -20R)
    -[X] Nuclear Power Plant Design Studies (1/8 turns) (1 die, -25R)
    -[X] Conduct Design Studies (Alternative Launch Systems) [AERO, PHYS] (216/300) (1 die, -5R)
    -[X] Balloon Tanks [MATSCI] (142/200) (1 die, -15R)
    -[X] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 4) [MATSCI] (231/350) (4 dice, -80R)
    -[X] The Right Stuff (91/300) (3 dice, -15R)
    -[X] Engineering Job Fair (93/150) (1 die, -5R)

    Penelope looked over the blizzard of quarter-end reports that had blanketed her desk and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a sigh. I really ought to divert some more of these to Sergei, she thought to herself, even as a pair of tiny giggles brought her attention to her daughters, playing (thankfully relatively quietly) in the corner. She smiled, watching them for a moment, and wondered what the world would look like when they were her age.

    I was certainly not expecting the world to look like this when I hit thirty-two, she thought to herself. I suppose that's why I'm h-

    Before she could go much further with that, a knock at the door drew her attention. "Come in!" she called out, and watched the girls perk up and swivel their heads to the door with that sometimes-uncanny synchronicity they sometimes had.

    A young Chinese woman stepped in, dipping her head slightly towards you. "Director Carter, do you have a moment?" she asked in accented but perfectly understandable English. She was familiar enough that Penelope racked her brain for a split second, trying to recall her name. Yao Xia. Engineer.

    "Of course. Is this a sensitive matter?" she asked, and Xia - Yao? Which name is her first, again? Did I swap the name into first-last already or..? - shook her head in the negative.

    "No, it concerns the balloon tanks." the engineer replied with a grimace. "They have… failed again."

    Penelope sighed. "Of course. Is anyone hurt?"

    "No," the woman replied, "but we will be set back at least another week or two."

    How many resources have I poured into this project already only for us to run into roadblock after roadblock?, Penelope mused.

    "Tell me what happened."

    Xia sat down, glancing about as she did so. She spotted the girls, who were watching her - and looked away and quickly returned to playing when they realized she realized.

    "Don't mind them, I simply wanted to spend more time with them today." Penelope said with a small chuckle.

    Xia nodded. "I understand. Um, okay, the tanks…"

    HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD​

    DNIPRO - Members of the IEC's Materials Science division have unveiled a new production process for rustless (or stainless) steel, enabling far larger quantities to be produced at once, enabling lower costs and allowing for the material to be used in more applications. The cost of surgical tools is expected to decrease dramatically…

    ANTARCTICA - The AEC has announced that its first expedition to the South Pole will embark in October, during local spring. The goal of the expedition is to conduct general scientific endeavors, to include taking cores of the ice for study by scientists on-site, enabling them to track the change in the Earth's atmosphere over time, from millions of years ago to today…

    MOMBASA - The staff of the Mombasa Computer Science Institute have reported the creation of the 'transistor', an electronic component that may one day replace the vacuum tube. The announcement was made by Dr. Alan Turing, the facility's head, at a symposium on electronics engineering held at Moscow Polytechnic…

    Resources:
    30R (+475R/turn + 5R/turn from Connections - 35R/turn from payroll/dice purchases = +445/turn net)
    100 Political Support
    1 R-2 Gale
    1 Curiosity-class Satellite

    Objectives of the World Communal Council
    Complete Post-War Reconstruction (42000/200000)
    Defeat Partisan Forces

    Department of Agriculture (5%)
    -Forestry Commission
    -Aquaculture and Fishing Commission
    Department of Transportation (9%)
    -Sea Travel Commission
    -Road and Rail Commission
    -Air Travel Commission
    Department of Industrial Coordination (5%)
    -Occupational Health and Safety Administration
    Department of Energy (8.2%)
    Department of Reconstruction and Disaster Relief (28.0%)
    Department of Health and Welfare (24.5%)
    Department of Education (17.2%)

    Discretionary Funding (2.6%)
    Council Standards Commission (Negligible)

    Interplanetary Exploration Cooperative (1.0%)
    Antarctic Exploration Cooperative (0.1%)
    (Others)

    State of the World
    (Updated at the end of every Quarter)

    Mediterranean/Saharan Africa
    Education: 7
    Electrification: 7
    Industry: 7
    Infrastructure: 7
    Security: 2
    Partisan Activity: 3

    Sub-Saharan Africa
    Education: 7
    Electrification: 6 (+1 in 1955Q4 from Bothering Councilors)
    Industry: 6
    Infrastructure: 7 (+) (Road and Rail network expansions)
    Security: 4
    Partisan Activity: 4

    Eastern Asia
    Education: 10
    Electrification: 10 (+) (Electrical network upgrades, new power plants)
    Industry: 10
    Infrastructure: 10
    Security: 6
    Partisan Activity: 6

    Western Asia
    Education: 10 (+) (Education system improvements)
    Electrification: 11
    Industry: 11
    Infrastructure: 11
    Security: 7
    Partisan Activity: 5 (-)

    Australia and New Zealand
    Education: 6
    Electrification: 7
    Industry: 7
    Infrastructure: 7
    Security: 4
    Partisan Activity: 3

    Europe
    Education: 10
    Electrification: 10
    Industry: 9
    Infrastructure: 11
    Security: 6
    Partisan Activity: 4 (-)

    North America
    Education: 8
    Electrification: 9
    Industry: 8
    Infrastructure: 9
    Security: 7 (--) (Drawdown)
    Partisan Activity: 3

    South America
    Education: 8
    Electrification: 8
    Industry: 8
    Infrastructure: 8
    Security: 4
    Partisan Activity: 3

    Pacific Islands
    Education: 6
    Electrification: 6
    Industry: 5 (LIMIT REACHED)
    Infrastructure: 6
    Security: 1
    Social Unrest: 1

    1 Launch Stand (0-5 tonne) (+1 Operations dice)
    1 Heavy Sounding Rocket Launch Pad (5-30 tonne) (+1 Operations dice)
    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])
    2 Construction Union Halls (+2 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)
    1 Isotope Separation and Nuclear Science Facility (Enables Nuclear Technology tree) (fully unlocks 1954Q1)
    1 Computational Research Facility (+3 to all rolls)
    1 Model 1952 'Stormchaser' Mobile Rocket Launch System (+1 Operations dice)
    Advanced Concepts Office (unlocks experimental new programs from time to time)
    1 Wind Tunnel (+3 to AERO)
    1 Flight Complex (+2 Operations dice, enables the construction and launch of air- and spaceplanes.)
    Dnipro Aerospace Metallurgy Centre (+9 MATSCI, +1 Education in Europe)
    Sao Paolo Aerodynamics Centre (+10 AERO, +1 Education in South America)
    Long Beach Propulsion Research Complex (+7 PROP, +1 Education in North America)
    Mombasa Computer Science Institute (+10 COMP, +1 Education in Sub-Saharan Africa)
    Equatorial Tracking System (Provides communications and guidance across the equator)

    Scientific Advances
    Improved Instrumentation - Gain +1d2 bonus to a random field every 2 launches. Gain +1 to AVIONICS immediately.) (Made obsolete by First Satellite)
    Regenerative Cooling - Starts down the path to more powerful and advanced rocket engines.
    Second Stages - Can now build 2-Stage Rockets.
    Combustion Instability Research - Turns the initial success roll for a rocket from a >60 to >50.
    Engine Cycles - Enables Early Orbital engines.
    Mobile Launch Operations - Can launch Sounding Rockets without the need for a launch pad.
    Improved Stringer Alloys - New (expensive) alloys improve the performance of structural tanks. (+5 to R cost of Heavy Sounding Rockets and above)
    Copper-Chrome combustion chamber alloys - New combustion chamber alloys with higher heat transfer efficiency allow for hotter (and thus more efficient) chamber temperatures, leading to the ability to produce more powerful engines. (Future rocket designs will be higher performing.)
    Aluminum-Lithium monolithic tanks - New tank alloys enable lighter, higher performing tankage to be produced for new rocket designs. (Future designs that use Al-Li tankage will be more performant, but more expensive in R terms.)
    First Satellite - With the launch of the Curiosity I, the IEC and the world have entered a new era of spaceflight, and the horizons of science and engineering broaden ever further. (+10PS, Improved Instrumentation bonus deactivated. Gain +1d2 bonus to a random non-CREW field per two satellite launches.)
    Van Allen Belts - An area of charged particles from the Sun, trapped by Earth's magnetic field. These belts have caused several minor hiccups with the Curiosity I satellite, and given the transmitted radiation readings, care must be taken if the IEC intends to launch humans through them. Staying for any significant length of time would be... ill advised.
    Inconel turbine parts - Enables higher-performance rocket engines to be constructed.
    Hastelloy-N reactor parts - Enables higher-performance nuclear reactors and nuclear engines to be constructed.
    Rudimentary Heat Shielding - An ablative heat shield made of a pourable elastomer laid over a resin-impregnated hemp honeycomb, rimmed with a carbon cloth that together made an effective protection against the heat of Low Earth Orbit re-entries. (Enables return of film, sample, and crewed capsules/craft)

    Scientific/Engineering Specific Field Bonuses
    AERO - +19
    AVIONICS - +10
    CHEM - +11
    CREW - +3
    COMP - +13
    MATSCI - +17
    PHYS - +9
    PROP - +14

    IEC Leadership:

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

    Assistant Director of the IEC:
    Sergei Korolev [The Engineer] - [+5 to Science and Engineering rolls (unless researching [HGOL][FUEL] projects, then it becomes a -15), +1 Science dice, +1 Engineering Dice. Request: Build and launch a 2nd Generation Orbital Rocket within 5 years. Demonstrate crewed orbital spaceflight within 5 years.]

    Chief Scientist of the IEC:

    Assistant Director of the Spacefarer Assembly    :

    Passive Effects

    Rocket Reels - Adds a coinflip for 2 gained political support per quarter; gain an additional flip for every successful orbital rocket launch. [UPGRADED]

    Nuclear Power Authorization - The World Council has been successfully convinced to support the IEC conducting peaceful, power-generating nuclear experiments. (Current WC approval status: Given, Apprehensive; Current public approval status: Apprehensive)

    Promises Made (Expires Q1 1956 unless otherwise stated):
    Conduct Materials Research (Phase 5) (Int(C), Int(M-L), FWW) (small additional progress requirement added in order to represent finding materials good for civilian use)
    Build the Beijing Institute for Chemical Research (Int(C))
    Build the New Delhi Institute for Physics (CPAL, Int(C))
    Launch a Venus probe before 1960Q1. (+2 to Dnipro Aerospace Metallurgy Centre's bonus on completion) (Int(M-L)
    Launch a probe to Mars by 1960Q1 (+2 to Long Beach Propulsion Research Complex's bonus on completion) (Int(D)))
    Conduct Nuclear Power Plant Design Studies (FWW) (Does not expire as long as the dice is locked)
    Build 2 points of Industry or Electrification in the Pacific or Africa (FWW)
    Build the Big Ear (CPAL)
    Transfer APCP formula to the UWF for use in military rockets. (UWF) (Autocomplete)
    Hire a spacefarer from South America (UWF)
    Conduct Design Studies (Alternative Launch Systems) (SDL)

    Rocket & Payload Construction

    The Assembly teams worked at a more sedate pace this quarter - and you couldn't blame them, after a year of working at an incredible pace - and were only able to finish roughly half of the next Dawn rocket. It was a good thing, perhaps, as the investigation into the quarter's Curiosity IV failure was sure to turn up process improvements for the construction of the IEC's rockets.

    In addition to a half-built Dawn, they were also able to build Curiosity V, which would, hopefully, not share the fate of its predecessor.

    Rocket Launches (0 successes, 1 failure)

    The launch of Curiosity IV went… poorly. The satellite, in point of fact, never made it out of the rocket, which itself never made it out of the atmosphere. The current suspicion is that an engine bay fire led to an engine explosion and very soon thereafter a general rapid disassembly of the entire rocket in the space of a few seconds. Unfortunately, the rocket was far enough down range at the point of failure that by the time a search vessel arrived in the impact area to collect any debris, there was nothing left to salvage, and precious little data to diagnose the problem besides.

    Build a Scientific Complex
    - Beijing Institute for Chemical Research (CHEM) (347/450)

    The delivery station, along with the first of several laboratory buildings, were completed this quarter, with the rest close behind. The first items to cross the delivery station's interior transit tracks after arriving on a cargo train weren't chemicals or catalysts - they were more equipment, bound for the labs, delivered by the most convenient method now available. These pieces included scrubbers to go atop the ventilation and exhaust system outlets - it would be Bad if there were any release of the kinds of nastily toxic chemicals that could be handled inside, especially if either gaseous or aerosolized. The odds were good that construction would complete next quarter, and already a great deal of Mogadishu's chemical engineers and chemists were beginning to pack their bags for Beijing.

    - New Delhi Institute for Physics (PHYS) (388/450)

    Construction of the particle accelerator, nearly fifty meters in diameter, was completed by the end of June. The control apparatus, a specially-built Turing computer, was made available shortly beforehand and was undergoing installation by the time the accelerator itself was complete. The cooling systems and power requirements were significant, and some plans did end up needing to be drawn up for the city itself to be able to supply the power required to run the accelerator (which might one day be accelerators) along with the power-hungry computers, the majority of which were either installed or undergoing installation at the Institute by the end of the quarter. All of the buildings were structurally complete at this point; the work that was going on now was furnishing and outfitting them for use by the staff.

    Big Ear [PHYS] (271/300)

    The Big Ear was nearly done - in fact, it would have been done this quarter, if not for a few key problems. First: a localized materials shortage (thanks in no small part to your pestering of the Reconstruction department, who were using a lot of the same materials you needed for the telescope in order to improve the electrical network), and a set of faulty receivers for the receiver strip that would actually make the telescope functional. Neither of these problems were intractable - but they were both annoying, and caused enough delays for the completion of the telescope to slip into next quarter. (Can be finished with either Science OR Facilities dice, rather than AND)

    Spacefarer Training Facilities (175/300)

    While the spacefarer selections were drawing to a close, the facilities in which they would train and learn together were still undergoing construction. A large portion of the facilities were actually classrooms - in many ways, the training facility was like a university, distributing necessary skills amongst all of the spacefarers before they would be sent into space on the missions they were selected for. A gym was also under construction, along with running tracks and other necessary facilities for ensuring fitness amongst the spacefarers - they did not have to be Olympians, but nobody knew what effects space would have on the human body and the rigors of high-speed flight were somewhat understood. As such, they would need to be in at least good shape before going up.

    Observation Satellites (3/4 turns)

    The reaction control systems devised last quarter began to be tested in this one, and the wind tunnel found itself home to an odd experiment, where a small 'satellite' fitted with tanks of compressed gas was suspended in the tunnel and made to spin and orient itself on command. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to get a general idea of the principles of the system down. Meanwhile, the camera teams were closing in on several different cameras - film and broadcast - that could be used for earth observation. One of the teams even suggested using the film cameras for a space telescope, pointed out towards the stars. Lastly, the team in charge of figuring out how to get the broadcast cameras to be used for the weather satellites to be able to relay their images back to Earth was experimenting with radio bands, trying to find the best data throughput rate at the lowest power possible, to ease the task's demand on the satellite's power budget.

    Human-rated Rocketry (3/8 turns)

    With the decision made to pursue a single-person spacecraft, design work began accordingly, beginning to envision the shape the capsule would take. Some suggested spaceplanes rather than capsules; however, capsules could borrow existing design experience from sample return capsules used in sounding rockets, combined with the new heat shielding materials developed by the materials scientists in Dnipro last quarter. This, in turn, led to a shorter turnaround on design and presumably greater odds of success overall. Members of the team began to draw up experiments designed to test how the human body reacted to the stressors of launch using equipment now being installed and verified at the spacefarer training facility in order to inform the requirements of the rocket itself, which would very likely be a modified R-4.

    Nuclear Power Plant Design Studies (2/8 turns)

    The power plant design studies proceeded apace, with a few competing schools of thought vying for control of the direction of the project. First, the space reactor advocates: they wanted to pursue a reactor design that would provide the most benefit to the IEC, while still being serviceable in a terrestrial power role. Next, the solid core advocates: they contended that a design comprised of solid rods of radioactive material, submerged in water and provided with some type of moderating material to control the rate of reaction would be the easiest to construct and likely the fastest, in addition to being the closest to technical readiness, based on recovered experiment logs from the Third Great War. Lastly, the molten core advocates: they argued that their design was inherently fail-safe and equally applicable to land, sea and space, and needed no water as a working fluid (though it could, of course, still use it).

    You weren't quite sure which of them were the right path forward, to be honest, but you were happy that they weren't attacking each other in their wide-ranging debates on the merits of each position. They were also, notably, drafting actual plans and doing experiments as well.

    Conduct Design Studies (Alternative Launch Systems) [AERO, PHYS] (342/300)

    The Alternative Launch Systems investigation team finally called it quits after nearly a year of study, having achieved their objectives - which weren't, necessarily, to produce actually actionable plans, but to broaden the IEC's horizons and get some basic concepts out amongst the academics the world over for them to chew over. The majority of the proposed systems were either unworkable due to materials constraints or to practicality, but with advances in technology both of those might change overnight, or over the course of decades.

    A few were, of course, more promising than others - in particular, the various electromagnetic launch options were of interest, along with other kinetic launch systems, one of which was akin to a centrifuge, throwing a payload at great speed, and of course air launch, which was the most technically mature of the proposed options (as it was already well understood how to launch a (military) rocket from an aircraft).

    Balloon Tanks [MATSCI] (179/200)

    The balloon tank project continued to be plagued with problems related to bad welds, oxidation, overpressure, underpressure - you name it, it had probably happened at least once and probably three times. Some of the engineers on staff had taken to calling it 'cursed', and while you didn't partake in superstition much yourself (nor did they, which amplified your surprise at hearing the sentiment), you couldn't help but feel they might have had a point here.

    Conduct Materials Research (Phase 4) [MATSCI] (484/350) (Nat 100), (Phase 5) (134/400)

    For the second quarter in a row, the Materials Science teams at Dnipro delivered wonderful news, bringing to completion several long-running investigations - along with a couple of surprises none had foreseen.

    First, the surprises.

    Carbon fiber had been worked with in laboratories for a century at this point, with carbon wire being used in incandescent bulbs, but it had lacked the strength and ease of production required to take it beyond those cases… until now. Utilizing a process that started from a rayon base, the scientists at Dnipro were able to create a carbon fiber that was 99%+ carbon, enabling it to be both relatively easily manufactured and also quite strong, making an excellent strengthening material for other composites. Your engineers were, naturally, very, very interested in these lightweight, strong, heat-resistant materials.

    Another group entirely (a group you suspected was friendly with Korolev) brought forward a ceramic enamel formulation that strongly resisted the oxidative environment found inside a turbopump's machinery, and while it was brittle, given the general tolerances to which turbine production was held, there should - should - be little worry of the enamel causing problems inside a properly-manufactured engine. It was, of course, also perfectly applicable as a material to jet and power turbines, though power turbines at least gained relatively little from having the enamel applied given the much lower temperatures involved.

    One of the groups that had actually been started up with the beginning of this most recent round of investigations brought forward something that was broadly only something the IEC would care about - isogrid and orthogrid manufacturing. By milling or otherwise forming into the material that would comprise a tank wall a series of equilateral triangles, an isogrid was formed, giving the tank wall enough compressive and lateral strength to still be useful as a rocket component while also decreasing weight, improving performance. An orthogrid was much the same, only using a grid of squares or rectangles in place of the triangles. Once again, your engineering teams at Mogadishu were already hard at work finding ways to apply this to rockets to come. The only downside to the technique, as far as you could see, was the fact that the milling process would make tank manufacturing take longer by necessity. A large amount of material was also wasted in the process - but, in the case of metals, could largely be recovered and remelted into later tankage.

    Finally, partially as part of your promises to look into civilian applications for the materials science research the IEC undertook but also to add yet more options to the growing list in the Cooperative's toolkit, another team brought forward a series of improvements to the manufacturing of stainless steel, enabling it to be produced in far greater quantities and at lower cost. There were very few applications around the world that stainless steel couldn't impact - anything where you wanted steel and didn't want rust, essentially, though there were yet still certain applications, like marine alloys, where it wasn't useful in the environment those qualities were desired in.

    [Tech added: High-Carbon Carbon Fiber Composites - Useful both for you and for general civilian industry in applications where high strength and/or high-temperature conditions are found, produced from an initial rayon feedstock. Examples: Rocket fuel tanks, airplane wings, bicycles, light boats, etc.] (Nat 100)

    [Tech added: Turbine enamel formula - A ceramic enamel formula ideal for protecting rocket engine turbines from being attacked by their oxidizers. Enables high-performance Staged Combustion engines. (IRL: This is how the Soviets worked their space magic. It's probably also how Raptor is made.)] (Nat 100)

    [Tech added: Isogrid/Orthogrid manufacturing - A different way of forming tankage, pressing or milling out a grid of equilateral triangles in the tank material chosen, in order to reduce its weight while maintaining compressive and lateral strength. Orthogrid is very similar, except it uses a grid of squares or rectangles. Enables higher-performing tankage, improving rocket payload performance.]

    [Tech added: Stainless Steel Mass Manufacturing - A collection of techniques and technologies centered around improving the production of stainless steel, including argon-oxygen decarburization processes (to remove sulfur and carbon), hot rolling, continuous casting, and more. Primarily good for civilian applications. Enables stainless steel tankage, stainless steel parts for use in applicable applications such as probes.]

    The Right Stuff (282/300)

    Candidate selection was well underway, now that the majority of the applications for spacefarer roles were processed. Interviews were happening all across the world, and large sections of the Personnel department were gone at any given time during the quarter. It was decided that seven was the ideal size for the first 'class' of spacefarers; some quipped that it was 'seven spacefarers for seven continents', though that was usually followed with some variety of joke about penguins with PhDs. The head of Personnel assured you that there would be a list of candidates for your approval by the end of the next quarter.

    (Very likely to open something akin to For the Tyrants Fear Your Might's Captain submissions here, I can only come up with so many characters before I repeat myself.)

    Engineering Job Fair (183/150) (-5R/turn) (+1 Engineering dice)

    As you'd predicted, once the school year in the Northern Hemisphere was over (for most places, anyway) the Personnel department had had far better luck finding sufficient junior engineers to help staff an additional engineering team. The majority of them were already in transit and would be settled in (more or less) in time to help with the next quarter's projects.
     
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    • Man i want to see the reaction of the other department when we do our next World council, because i am looking very much smug right now with this nat 100 that unlock a lot of thing for us to use, hah imagine if we did have more Resources to use maybe 1.75% of budge will be possible because of this.
     
    I love those snippets of our characters interacting, it keeps the human element in this quest. In general this quest feels a lot more warm and comfy than planquests usually do, despite our large organization.

    Shadows said:
    [Tech added: Turbine enamel formula - A ceramic enamel formula ideal for protecting rocket engine turbines from being attacked by their oxidizers. Enables high-performance Staged Combustion engines. (IRL: This is how the Soviets worked their space magic. It's probably also how Raptor is made.)] (Nat 100)
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    Click to shrink...
    Woo baby! This is the thing that lets us make oxygen-rich preburners not explode right? Getting that in nineteen fifty-five is utterly amazing, our engines will be well ahead of OTL! Is there anywhere I can read more on how exactly the Soviets made this "enamel"?
     
    General_Urist said:
    I love those snippets of our characters interacting, it keeps the human element in this quest. In general this quest feels a lot more warm and comfy than planquests usually do, despite our large organization.


    Woo baby! This is the thing that lets us make oxygen-rich preburners not explode right? Getting that in nineteen fifty-five is utterly amazing, our engines will be well ahead of OTL! Is there anywhere I can read more on how exactly the Soviets made this "enamel"?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Glad you're enjoying the little vignettes. I was starting to feel like I was writing the same boring, dry stuff over and over again so I said 'wait hold on, I normally write character stuff... why not add some of that?' Seems to have worked!

    There probably is but I need to bother the engineers on the discord cabal about it because, to paraphrase, I'm a writer/astronomer, not an aerospace engineer (dammit!).
     
    I am mildly looking forward to seeing how we structure our mission control analogue. Only because that's where I've read the most about early space race stuff.
     
    Shadows said:
    Pacific Islands
    Education: 6
    Electrification: 6
    Industry: 5 (LIMIT REACHED)
    Infrastructure: 6
    Security: 1
    Social Unrest: 1
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    this went up by 1, but there was no plus sign.
    how many other unrest things went up? Because I don't want this to forshadow something.

    Edit: It is a new mechanic and I should not be alarmed, I am sorry about that.
     
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    Zavvnao said:
    this went up by 1, but there was no plus sign.
    how many other unrest things went up? Because I don't want this to forshadow something.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    That whole stat changed. It's no longer Partisan Activity for that region because there aren't any Partisans, and Social Unrest is an indicator of... well, Social Unrest. The lower the better. 1's basically the floor, because someone's always unhappy about something somewhere.
     
    July 1st, 1955//Q3 1955
  • Threadmarks
    • "...so, in short, Madame Director, this device, this 'transistor' -" Alan Turing stood before her, holding up a tiny wafer of silicon with a pair of tweezers, "- enables a more robust method of computing, and may perhaps be even cheaper to manufacture than vacuum tubes, after more refinement. They are crude, now, but we will continue our investigations into them."

    Penelope felt a minor headache coming on, and she wasn't quite sure whether it was the sheer volume of information she was trying to process in one go or the fact that she'd had no water in a couple of hours. "I see." she replied, for she did. "Are they resilient enough to be used in a spacecraft?" she asked.

    "This one? No." Turing said with a shake of his head. "But, perhaps. They are solid-state, after all - it's just a matter of finding better ways of putting them together."

    Penelope nodded again. "Well, in any case, excellent work, Dr. Turing. Is there anything else?"

    "Nothing, current-" he began, then stopped. "Actually, if we could have some additional funding, that would perhaps speed our research efforts."

    Penelope hummed. "I'll have to bring it up to the rest of the executive council, but I don't see any reason why they'd not."

    Turing nodded again, nearly a half-bow. "That shall suffice, madame. I won't take up any more of your time, then." he said, turning for the door. His hand was on the doorknob when he looked back at her. "Oh, and Director?"

    "Yes, Doctor?"

    "I nearly forgot - congratulations on your imminent nuptials." he said, offering a slight smile, which Penelope returned.

    "Thank you, Alan."

    Resources:
    475R (+475R/turn + 5R/turn from Connections - 35R/turn from payroll/dice purchases = +445/turn net)
    100 Political Support
    1 R-2 Gale
    1 Curiosity-class Satellite

    Objectives of the World Communal Council
    Complete Post-War Reconstruction (42000/200000)
    Defeat Partisan Forces

    Department of Agriculture (5%)
    -Forestry Commission
    -Aquaculture and Fishing Commission
    Department of Transportation (9%)
    -Sea Travel Commission
    -Road and Rail Commission
    -Air Travel Commission
    Department of Industrial Coordination (5%)
    -Occupational Health and Safety Administration
    Department of Energy (8.2%)
    Department of Reconstruction and Disaster Relief (28.0%)
    Department of Health and Welfare (24.5%)
    Department of Education (17.2%)

    Discretionary Funding (2.6%)
    Council Standards Commission (Negligible)

    Interplanetary Exploration Cooperative (1.0%)
    Antarctic Exploration Cooperative (0.1%)
    (Others)

    State of the World
    (Updated at the end of every Quarter)

    Mediterranean/Saharan Africa
    Education: 7
    Electrification: 7
    Industry: 7
    Infrastructure: 7
    Security: 2
    Partisan Activity: 3

    Sub-Saharan Africa
    Education: 7
    Electrification: 6 (+1 in 1955Q4 from Bothering Councilors)
    Industry: 6
    Infrastructure: 7
    Security: 4
    Partisan Activity: 4

    Eastern Asia
    Education: 10
    Electrification: 10
    Industry: 10
    Infrastructure: 10
    Security: 6
    Partisan Activity: 6

    Western Asia
    Education: 10
    Electrification: 11
    Industry: 11
    Infrastructure: 11
    Security: 7
    Partisan Activity: 5

    Australia and New Zealand
    Education: 6
    Electrification: 7
    Industry: 7
    Infrastructure: 7
    Security: 4
    Partisan Activity: 3

    Europe
    Education: 10
    Electrification: 10
    Industry: 9
    Infrastructure: 11
    Security: 6
    Partisan Activity: 4

    North America
    Education: 8
    Electrification: 9
    Industry: 8
    Infrastructure: 9
    Security: 7
    Partisan Activity: 3

    South America
    Education: 8
    Electrification: 8
    Industry: 8
    Infrastructure: 8
    Security: 4
    Partisan Activity: 3

    Pacific Islands
    Education: 6
    Electrification: 6
    Industry: 5 (LIMIT REACHED)
    Infrastructure: 6
    Security: 1
    Social Unrest: 1

    1 Launch Stand (0-5 tonne) (+1 Operations dice)
    1 Heavy Sounding Rocket Launch Pad (5-30 tonne) (+1 Operations dice)
    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])
    2 Construction Union Halls (+2 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)
    1 Isotope Separation and Nuclear Science Facility (Enables Nuclear Technology tree) (fully unlocks 1954Q1)
    1 Computational Research Facility (+3 to all rolls)
    1 Model 1952 'Stormchaser' Mobile Rocket Launch System (+1 Operations dice)
    Advanced Concepts Office (unlocks experimental new programs from time to time)
    1 Wind Tunnel (+3 to AERO)
    1 Flight Complex (+2 Operations dice, enables the construction and launch of air- and spaceplanes.)
    Dnipro Aerospace Metallurgy Centre (+9 MATSCI, +1 Education in Europe)
    Sao Paolo Aerodynamics Centre (+10 AERO, +1 Education in South America)
    Long Beach Propulsion Research Complex (+7 PROP, +1 Education in North America)
    Mombasa Computer Science Institute (+10 COMP, +1 Education in Sub-Saharan Africa)
    Equatorial Tracking System (Provides communications and guidance across the equator)

    Scientific Advances
    Improved Instrumentation - Gain +1d2 bonus to a random field every 2 launches. Gain +1 to AVIONICS immediately.) (Made obsolete by First Satellite)
    Regenerative Cooling - Starts down the path to more powerful and advanced rocket engines.
    Second Stages - Can now build 2-Stage Rockets.
    Combustion Instability Research - Turns the initial success roll for a rocket from a >60 to >50.
    Engine Cycles - Enables Early Orbital engines.
    Mobile Launch Operations - Can launch Sounding Rockets without the need for a launch pad.
    Improved Stringer Alloys - New (expensive) alloys improve the performance of structural tanks. (+5 to R cost of Heavy Sounding Rockets and above)
    Copper-Chrome combustion chamber alloys - New combustion chamber alloys with higher heat transfer efficiency allow for hotter (and thus more efficient) chamber temperatures, leading to the ability to produce more powerful engines. (Future rocket designs will be higher performing.)
    Aluminum-Lithium monolithic tanks - New tank alloys enable lighter, higher performing tankage to be produced for new rocket designs. (Future designs that use Al-Li tankage will be more performant, but more expensive in R terms.)
    First Satellite - With the launch of the Curiosity I, the IEC and the world have entered a new era of spaceflight, and the horizons of science and engineering broaden ever further. (+10PS, Improved Instrumentation bonus deactivated. Gain +1d2 bonus to a random non-CREW field per two satellite launches.)
    Van Allen Belts - An area of charged particles from the Sun, trapped by Earth's magnetic field. These belts have caused several minor hiccups with the Curiosity I satellite, and given the transmitted radiation readings, care must be taken if the IEC intends to launch humans through them. Staying for any significant length of time would be... ill advised.
    Inconel turbine parts - Enables higher-performance rocket engines to be constructed.
    Hastelloy-N reactor parts - Enables higher-performance nuclear reactors and nuclear engines to be constructed.
    Rudimentary Heat Shielding - An ablative heat shield made of a pourable elastomer laid over a resin-impregnated hemp honeycomb, rimmed with a carbon cloth that together made an effective protection against the heat of Low Earth Orbit re-entries. (Enables return of film, sample, and crewed capsules/craft)
    High-Carbon Carbon Fiber Composites - Useful both for you and for general civilian industry in applications where high strength and/or high-temperature conditions are found, produced from an initial rayon feedstock. Examples: Rocket fuel tanks, airplane wings, bicycles, light boats, etc.
    Turbine enamel formula - A ceramic enamel formula ideal for protecting rocket engine turbines from being attacked by their oxidizers. Enables high-performance Staged Combustion engines. (IRL: This is how the Soviets worked their space magic. It's probably also how Raptor is made.)
    Isogrid/Orthogrid manufacturing - A different way of forming tankage, pressing or milling out a grid of equilateral triangles in the tank material chosen, in order to reduce its weight while maintaining compressive and lateral strength. Orthogrid is very similar, except it uses a grid of squares or rectangles. Enables higher-performing tankage, improving rocket payload performance.
    Stainless Steel Mass Manufacturing - A collection of techniques and technologies centered around improving the production of stainless steel, including argon-oxygen decarburization processes (to remove sulfur and carbon), hot rolling, continuous casting, and more. Primarily good for civilian applications. Enables stainless steel tankage, stainless steel parts for use in applicable applications such as probes.
    Alternative Launch Systems - A series of high-technology or infrastructure-intensive launch systems projects that may or may not come about in the future.

    Scientific/Engineering Specific Field Bonuses
    AERO - +19
    AVIONICS - +10
    CHEM - +11
    CREW - +3
    COMP - +13
    MATSCI - +17
    PHYS - +9
    PROP - +14

    IEC Leadership:

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

    Assistant Director of the IEC:
    Sergei Korolev [The Engineer] - [+5 to Science and Engineering rolls (unless researching [HGOL][FUEL] projects, then it becomes a -15), +1 Science dice, +1 Engineering Dice. Request: Build and launch a 2nd Generation Orbital Rocket within 5 years. Demonstrate crewed orbital spaceflight within 5 years.]

    Chief Scientist of the IEC:

    Assistant Director of the Spacefarer Assembly    :

    Passive Effects

    Rocket Reels - Adds a coinflip for 2 gained political support per quarter; gain an additional flip for every successful orbital rocket launch. [UPGRADED]

    Nuclear Power Authorization - The World Council has been successfully convinced to support the IEC conducting peaceful, power-generating nuclear experiments. (Current WC approval status: Given, Apprehensive; Current public approval status: Apprehensive)

    Promises Made (Expires Q1 1956 unless otherwise stated):
    Conduct Materials Research (Phase 5) (Int(C), Int(M-L), FWW) (small additional progress requirement added in order to represent finding materials good for civilian use)
    Build the Beijing Institute for Chemical Research (Int(C))
    Build the New Delhi Institute for Physics (CPAL, Int(C))
    Launch a Venus probe before 1960Q1. (+2 to Dnipro Aerospace Metallurgy Centre's bonus on completion) (Int(M-L)
    Launch a probe to Mars by 1960Q1 (+2 to Long Beach Propulsion Research Complex's bonus on completion) (Int(D)))
    Conduct Nuclear Power Plant Design Studies (FWW) (Does not expire as long as the dice is locked)
    Build 2 points of Industry or Electrification in the Pacific or Africa (FWW)
    Build the Big Ear (CPAL)
    Hire a spacefarer from South America (UWF)

    Operations (5 dice, +3 bonus) (1 type of Rocket may be built at a time)

    Rockets

    [ ] Construct an R-1 Beden - 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, 3/35, 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 an R-2 Gale - The IEC's engineers and scientists have come up with a moderately reliable stage separation system for multi-stage rockets. The Gale has seen active use for two years, now, and is turning into quite the reliable workhorse. (20R per dice, 19/45, 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 an R-3 Snow - The Heavy Sounding Rocket, now known as the Snow, is ready for construction. It's a sizeable rocket, but thankfully you have a sizeable pad to launch it from. Unfortunately, it won't ever fit on a Stormchaser. (25R per dice, 7/80, 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 an R-4 Dawn - The first Orbital-class rocket, the Dawn is capable of lifting 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit. It may be able to do more, in time, but for now that would suffice. It can only launch on the Heavy Sounding Pad or heavier, as yet unbuilt ones. (35R per dice, 77/120, costs 1 build capacity til complete) (2 Payload Mass capacity)
    -[ ] And launch it (1 Operations dice; specify payload)
    –[ ] Sounding payload (inert payload for testing)

    [ ] Construct a Prototype Spaceplane -

    Payloads

    [ ] Construct a Payload
    –[ ] Curiosity-class Satellite (20R) (1.5 Payload Mass)

    Programs (0 slots available)

    [ ] Activate Weather Observation Satellites (1 slot required)

    [ ] Activate Sounding Rocket Programs (1 slot required) (removes Sounding Rockets from build queue)

    Facilities (8 dice, +10 bonus)

    (A maximum of 3 dice may be used on any project - representing 3 shifts of work.)

    [ ] Expand the Assembly Complex - A proposal to expand the Assembly Complex to allow for more rockets to be constructed simultaneously has hit your desk. This will significantly up your launch cadence, you are told, and allow for multiple rocket programs to be run in parallel, as well as future proofing you somewhat against the upcoming orbital rockets. (20R per die, 182/350, +1 Build Capacity, +1 Program Slot (runs repeatables in the background))

    [ ] Expand the Launch Complex - You have two launch pads (one of which has gone entirely unused, so far) but, soon enough, you expect to need additional pads to account for the maintenance and upgrades the existing ones will certainly need. Getting a head start on that need may be a good idea. (20R per die, 0/350, gain two 500t launch pads)

    [ ] Build a Scientific Complex - While there are a significant number of people within the IEC who want to keep the Cooperative's footprint confined to Mogadishu - at least for now - there is definitely an argument to be made for building dedicated facilities in other locations to build up buy-in from the rest of the world by providing them something tangible in return. One of those ideas is for a dedicated Scientific Complex, dedicated to a particular discipline, much like the Soviet closed cities - just not closed. This has the potential to greatly increase your scientific output and your political sway at the same time. (25R per die, opens up new research possibilities, +1d5+5 bonus in the associated field, +1 Education for the region)
    -[] Beijing Institute for Chemical Research (CHEM) (347/450)
    -[] Sydney Microelectronics Research Centre (AVIONICS) (0/450)
    -[] New Delhi Institute for Physics (PHYS) (388/450)

    [ ] Build a Mission Control Center - As the IEC's operations continue to expands, it finds itself in need of additional control space dedicated to both new and ongoing missions. That control space will need significant computing capability, as well as dedicated communications links - both of which are power-hungry. The benefits, however, could be worth it. (25R per die, 0/250) (+3 to Operations) (+1 Program slot (runs repeatables in the background))

    [ ] Tracking and Communication Station Construction (Phase 2) - The second stage of Tracking Stations rolls out tracking stations across the northern latitudes to better serve potential polar-orbiting satellite as best as possible where land exists. (30R per die, 94/250, adds equatorial tracking for rocket launches)

    [ ] Spacefarer Training Facilities - Should the IEC wish to fly humans into space, it will need a place to train them for their missions, and ready their bodies for the rigors of flying on a rocket. (15R per dice, 175/300) (+2 CREW) (will have projects to expand it later for new capabilities, enables crew to be trained for basic LEO flight)

    [ ] Construction and Reconstruction Support - The IEC has a fairly sizeable and very skilled Facilities department that, if desired, could be of help in rebuilding the world's ruins and advancing the state of humankind besides. This can be done with or without a promise owed to someone, and will always be a good way of improving your relationships with the people you serve. (0/250) (can be done multiple times in parallel)
    -[ ] Specify Region
    --[ ] Electrification (25R per dice)
    --[ ] Industry (30R per dice)
    --[ ] Infrastructure (20R per dice)

    Engineering (6 dice, +6 Bonus to All, +3 from Research Support (1956Q1)) (3/6 Locked)

    [1 LOCKED] Observation Satellites - Now that we can put things in space, we should branch out what we're doing with them. The chief request of your weather scientists (and those elsewhere) is the ability to observe storms forming in real time, and while weather radar has been greatly helpful, it doesn't reach everywhere it needs to and would be far more uneconomical besides. By sticking a television camera and an antenna on a satellite, perhaps you could do something about this. (3/4 turns, 1 locked dice, 15R per turn)

    [1 LOCKED] Human-rated Rocketry - Satellites would certainly be useful for many things that you didn't want to spend precious human time on, nor deal with the constraints involved in getting them back. But, should the need arise, it would be a good idea to develop a way to get a human into space, then orbit, and back, alive. (3/8 turns, 1 locked dice, 20R per turn)

    [ ] Prototype Spaceplane - Your spaceplane enthusiasts returned to your office with another proposal, building off the back of the design studies they had undertaken through the winter of 1954. Their desire was to create a crewed 'space' plane that would be towed behind or carried underneath a carrier aircraft, be released, and activate a rocket engine that would take it up over the Karman line. It would have a multitude of sensors, of course, and would also need air supplies and likely a heated flight suit to keep the pilot alive and able to work. (0/300, 15R per dice)

    [ ] Design/Redesign an Orbital Rocket - Now that our first orbital rocket has flown to space and delivered payloads, we can begin to look at what may be improved about it. We can also, if we wish, begin thinking about other, new designs. (15R) (4 turns to Design) (2 turns to Redesign) (Triggers subvote)
    -[ ] Design
    -[ ] Redesign (Rocket name here)

    [ ] Balloon Tanks [MATSCI] - A curious phenomenon has been observed with the use of stainless steel for tankage. If made very thin, it is flimsy - but if the material is then appropriately pressurized, it regains significant structural strength, saving greatly on weight at the cost of being much more expensive to manufacture. This could be ideal for some applications that the IEC has in mind where cost is not an issue while performance is, but needs further testing beforehand. (15R per dice, 179/200, unlocks balloon tankage for use in later rockets)

    [ ] Lifting Body - Work with the Wind Tunnel and on the Spaceplane studies had revealed a new configuration for air- and spacecraft fuselage design - the concept of the lifting body, where the wing area was minimized to reduce drag at high speeds, with the body itself providing the lifting force used. While not terribly useful for aircraft, it was potentially very useful for spacecraft design. (10R per die, 30/150)

    [ ] Strap-on Boosters - By utilizing additional, solid-or-liquid-fueled boosters attached to the side of a given rocket, we may be able to significantly increase its payload without needing an entirely-new rocket. (10R per dice, 0/250) (Enables the use of boosters to increase payload capacity at the cost of Progress and Resources (flat))

    [ ] Multi-Stage Designs - Through the use of additional stages, we can give rockets the capability to throw payloads further out into space - potentially even interplanetary distances. (15R per turn) (2 turns) (Enables the use of third stages and up for sending payloads to geostationary orbit and beyond at the cost of Payload Mass)

    [ ] Vacuum Nozzles - After having conducted several orbital flights, the engineering teams have come up with an optimization for the IEC's upper-stage engines - make them longer. Given the mechanics on which a rocket engine worked, having a longer, larger bell on the upper stage allowed for a more efficient use of the force of the rocket's exhaust, giving gains in performance for a slight gain in weight. (5R per dice, 0/200)

    [ ] Impactor Designs - One of the proposed methods of probing our neighboring planets and Moon is by, quite literally, hitting them with a sizeable weight going at incredible speed and seeing what we can learn from the resulting dust plume (in the case of the Moon) or following the instrumentation's readings as they transmit on their way to impact. Or both. (10R per turn, 1 engineering dice locked, 3 turns)

    [1 LOCKED] Nuclear Power Plant Design Studies - Now that initial work had been completed verifying that, at the lab scale, nuclear energy could be used to generate power, now it was time to actually forward that knowledge into a practical, useful form. It would not be cheap, but, hopefully, it would be worth it. (2/8 turns, 1 locked dice, 25R per turn) (Unlocks 1st Generation Terrestrial Fission Power Plants for the world, leads to Radioisotope Thermal Generators, 2nd Generation Terrestrial Fission Plants, 1st Generation Space-rated Fission Plants)

    [ ] Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications Studies - A side-effect of the nuclear power studies lead to several of your researchers realizing that the heat a reactor produced could be harnessed for things other than turning a turbine. By passing propellant over a reactor's core housing you would cool the core and heat the propellant alike - and the propellant would be very hot indeed, making it an attractive candidate for being flung out the back of the spacecraft at extremely high speeds. (20R per die, 0/500, -30PS on completion UNLESS given WC authorization) (Unlocks 1st Generation Nuclear Thermal Propulsion for spacecraft)

    (Projects that require locked dice can be unlocked at any time, but progress will not be made without a dice locked in.)

    Science (5 dice, +6 Bonus to All, +3 from Research Support (1956Q1)) (1/5 Locked)

    [ ] Exploratory Propellant Research (Phase 2) [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, 3/200, unlocks fuel mixtures and further fuel development)

    [ ] Conduct Materials Research (Phase 5) [MATSCI] - Better alloys and manufacturing techniques would lead to higher-performing engines and lighter rockets, you were told. A fair deal of research had already been done into the subject, giving you a much-improved set of materials with which to build your rockets and engines out of, but there was much more that could be done. (20R per die, 134/400, provides access to new manufacturing techniques) [Modified by promise til Phase 5 complete]

    [ ] Conduct Supersonic Jet Research (Phase 3) [AERO] - Basic testing has been completed, and interesting phenomena observed when experimenting with the engines that have been built. More can be done, of course. (15R per die, requires a completed Hangar Complex and Runway to finish, can be started without, 147/640)

    [ ] All-Sky Survey (Phase 1) [PHYS] - The Science Committee at the WCC put forward the proposal to perform an All-Sky Survey, mapping the entire night sky with telescopes across the world. The first such survey, the Carte du Ciel, had never actually finished, despite starting nearly three quarters of a century ago. With advancements in photography and optics, the science teams predict that they will be able to perform the task… in roughly a decade. First, though, you needed to wrangle observatories… (10R per die, 0/300) (+5 PS, ???)

    [ ] Big Ear [PHYS] - The scientists working for the IEC have latched on to the opening the new broadcast regulations have given them, and are clamoring for funding to construct a radio telescope in a remote part of Africa. It might need a bit of infrastructure run out to it, and probably a security force of some sort to dissuade partisans, but it looked doable. Personally, you thought it was also a good excuse to help electrify somewhere that needed it. (20R per die; This dice can be either Facilities OR Science this turn, 271/300) (+1 Electrification and Infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa, +2 to PHYS)

    [ ] Atomic-powered Ground Launch Concept Studies - The idea of in-space nuclear propulsion, brought down to Earth. This program would study the possibilities for using nuclear power to get from the surface to space, both directly and indirectly. (10R per die, 0/300, -5PS on start, and an additional -10 on completion)

    [ ] Photovoltaic Investigations - Batteries are all well and good for powering spacecraft, but are also heavy and do not generate power on their own - once they're discharged, they're done. Your scientists suggest that by utilizing the photovoltaic effect, it might be possible to power spacecraft with it. (1/4 turns, 1 Science dice locked; 20R per turn)

    [ ] Very Long Range Communications - In order to properly communicate with probes we send out into the solar system to explore our neighboring worlds, we will need to begin studying ways to communicate more efficiently at these incredible distances. (5R per turn, 1 Science dice locked, 3 turns)

    [ ] Weather Observation Satellites [PROGRAM] - By using specially-built observation satellites, the IEC can provide real- or near-real-time observation of weather phenomena across the globe. This has obvious benefits for forecasting and emergency alerting, and would be a valuable way of cementing the IEC as a permanent fixture of the Council. (25R to activate, takes up a Program slot) (Requires Observation Satellites)

    [ ] Closed-Input Life Support Systems - We know from high-altitude flights during the Third Great War that systems can be designed to provide breathable air and a temperature-controlled environment for high-flying pilots. By taking that knowledge and acknowledging the lack of oxygen in space from which to replenish breathable air supplies, we can design a system capable of keeping a human alive for at least a short time (days) in space with no external inputs. (10R per dice, 0/200)

    (Projects that require locked dice can be unlocked at any time, but progress will not be made without a dice locked in.)

    Politics & Management (4 dice, +10 bonus, reroll 1 failure per turn)

    Political

    [ ] 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)

    [ ] Propagandize for Nuclear Power - As the IEC has gained more and more knowledge on the subject of nuclear power, it's become apparent that if you want to put this knowledge to good use for humanity, you'll need to start working against the (justified) stigma nuclear as a whole has in order to realize its full potential. (-2PS per die) (155/???)

    [ ] Propagandize for Space - Now that you've gotten your first orbital class rocket (and soon your first satellite), now is the best time to start touting the benefits of space exploration and access to space to the public. You'll need to find ways of engaging everyone in the idea, and there was no better time to start than now. (5R per die) (138/???)

    Outreach

    [ ] Rocket Boxes (Phase 5) - The fourth phase of Rocket Box deployment has completed across South America and the Pacific Islands. Next up is Europe; it needs the program probably the least of all the regions under the World Council, but it would be unadvised to not extend it anyway. New factories will be built for the motors and parts in Europe, which should ease logistics in the area. (5R per die, 0/250. Gives Rocket Boxes to every middle-school, high-school and university or equivalent in Europe. Encourages future scientists and engineers - some of whom will even come work with the IEC.)

    [ ] Creative Sponsorships - A junior physicist has made the suggestion that by sponsoring the work of fiction authors (particularly science fiction), interest in space, science, and the IEC could be generated outside the bounds of colleges and classrooms. This sparked another suggestion from one of the Outreach department's people - broaden the sponsorship from simply authors to filmmakers and more traditional artists as well. This would help reach even more people than before, they thought. (10R per die, 141/400) (-5R per turn when done, provides additional variable passive PS income and can result in shuffled costs and requests at World Council meetings.)

    Personnel

    [ ] Engineering Job Fair - (33/150, 5R per dice, -5R per turn on completion. Gain +1 Engineering dice)

    [ ] Laboratory Talent Scouting - (0/150, 5R per dice, -5R per turn on completion. Gain +1 Science dice)

    [ ] There is Power in a Union - The PAO says you should expand your physical footprint so more people can interact with the IEC. Preparations and initial expansions have already been made, but your facilities unions need more able bodies to do more with. (0/150, 5R per dice, -5R per turn and -5 PS on completion. Gain +1 Facilities dice.)

    [ ] The Right Stuff - With work underway on several programs that would require the services of skilled and courageous pilots, you would soon need to begin finding them so they could be integrated into the IEC - and someday, they would become your first astronauts. (282/300, 5R per dice, gain astronaut candidates)
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • [ ] 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)

    for getting more investments in transistors
     
    If we put two facilities dice into each research lab and one facilities die into Big Ear, that leaves us with 3 left over. We could put the rest into the Assembly Complex, in preparation of doing weather satellites?

    Our rocket redesign is waiting on upper stages, vaccum nozzles, and strap-on boosters to be done. One eng dice to each seems reasonable.

    For science, I'd like to do 3 on Matsci, 1 on Photovoltaics. If we get Photovoltaics started, there's a chance we can launch weather satellites next year, and I'd really like to do that. Matsci should also complete in 1 turn with 3 dice, and will definitely be done with six dice, so there's no risk to it.

    Right Stuff can get by with only one die, that'll finish things up. How about finishing Creative Sponsorships?
     
    C_Z said:
    If we put two facilities dice into each research lab and one facilities die into Big Ear, that leaves us with 3 left over. We could put the rest into the Assembly Complex, in preparation of doing weather satellites?

    Our rocket redesign is waiting on upper stages, vaccum nozzles, and strap-on boosters to be done. One eng dice to each seems reasonable.

    For science, I'd like to do 3 on Matsci, 1 on Photovoltaics. If we get Photovoltaics started, there's a chance we can launch weather satellites next year, and I'd really like to do that. Matsci should also complete in 1 turn with 3 dice, and will definitely be done with six dice, so there's no risk to it.

    Right Stuff can get by with only one die, that'll finish things up. How about finishing Creative Sponsorships?
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    You've got a free die on science I think, we've got an error in how many locked dice there are.
     
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