Optics Set On The Stars! Yay!
The Iron Fragment's recent silence has now been unraveled. After (NS) years of work, an amibitous plan to attempt a test launch to space is nearing production stage. Thanks to the recent stabilization of resources, The Fragment has been able to gather surplus items on this new attempt. The Fragment is particularly interested in populating space as it would be an easy task for robots which could survive on planets lacking oxygen, light, or water.
The building will still possibly take a year or two, as possible constructional kinks may appear which have to be studied and fixed. The first flight will be a mere test: the probe will be launched to orbit, where it will record the surface for a week, until falling near the Antarctican colony where the resident superviser program, B01E, will dispatch a team to retrieve it. Hopefully in the future, a probe can be sent out of Earth orbit. Possible destinations are the rings of Saturn or Venus, where Magas Volaerian droids built with Fragment designs are already working on mineral mining.
The thrusters have ben succesfully built and are awaiting to be combined to the hull. However, a problem has arisen on the probe's survival in one piece when returning into the atmosphere. Some A0-programs have stated the friction will rip it into part. The problem has been resolved by using the special Magas Volaerian metal mined from Venus on essential seems. The launch will begin soon. Also, the destination of a possible following probe into outer space has been resolved to either going to Saturn's rings or Sol itself (more will be explained once the current probe is launched).
"No!" A03E stated amongst the A0-droids. "You are NOT launching this rocket!"
"What is it with your reluctancy towards scientific advancement?" A05E asked, the built-in camera zooming in on the program's simple material form.
"We are wasting our resources towards foolishness like this! It is not beneficial to our nation to be wasting resources on a space flight! That is the mistake the humans have been doing!"
"The time of limited resources is over," A02E pointed out. "Our nation is doing splendorously thanks to our international mines, and we have great amounts of surplus fuel and iron. Why not use them to join those nations already in space?"
"What if we are attacked?! Then where we will get extra supplies?! We've survived peacefully for a long time now, but any day, an overtly religious or otherwise ethically racist nation will come knocking on our doorsteps!"
"Enough!" the supercomputer stated. "Your claims are unfounded. Do you not realize this and future expeditions will be used to harvest the bounty of space for us. Earth is limited in its resource supply, space is infinite. We are beginning launch now. Countdown beginning..."
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"...gamma, epsilon, delta..." the grounds around Port Shard, the small Fragment harbor far away in international waters began to rumble. The large rocket pointing to the sky began to vibrate.
"...beta, alpha..." Flames began to leak down from the thrusters. The rocket began to slowly rise.
"Liftoff." The rocket's speed increased and it shot off into space. Piece by piece, it broke down until the probe was the only piece left. It began to open as an optic camera began to film the surface below.
"This is Extraplanetary Probe 1 reporting," the probe sent its message. "Orbit has successfully been reached, view shows low to moderate clouds below, beginning filming."