Independent Hitmen
06-02-2005, 14:47
Autumn Winds Air Force Base, 400 Miles South of J City.
Four space shuttles sat on identical launchers within the confines of the base. A total of 40 square miles was taken up with the four launching platforms, and the other facilities that surrounded them, including blast ramps to protect them.
On cue the first of the space shuttles rocket boosters fired, and the ungainly arrangement separated from its launch tower, heading upwards at ever increasing speeds.
As the first headed through the 100,000 feet barrier the same happened on the next shuttle, and so on until all four were in the air.
At mission control in a bunker deep beneath the base, the progress of them was tracked.
“Number four is away and heading on a normal pattern. Ballistic trajectory is as predicted. Well done people”
The head of the project, an Air Force General, informed his people.
Number Four carried two KH-12 Recon satellites, whilst the other three each carried a pair of KH-11’s, all of which were destined for a low-mid orbit around the earth, paying particular care to Europe.
The shuttles would launch them one by one, at pre-determined times over the next two days, and from there two would return to earth whilst the other two made routine repairs to three communications birds that were also up in mid orbit before returning late next week.
These new satellites would be the first of some twenty five more that had been authorised for launch along with a dozen new communication satellites as part of a space force reorganisation exercise.
Details that they were replacements had been linked to the press, who had surprisingly not questioned it. Had they done so they would have found that none of the birds already up was due to stop working for less than half a decade, and that another dozen were sitting on ballistic launchers at Howerd Air Force Base, less than two thousand miles away.
However for the while the new satellites were put into orbit, and then command of them was switched to SATINTEL in its giant complex beneath Fort Cohawk where taskings were already being formulated for them.
Four space shuttles sat on identical launchers within the confines of the base. A total of 40 square miles was taken up with the four launching platforms, and the other facilities that surrounded them, including blast ramps to protect them.
On cue the first of the space shuttles rocket boosters fired, and the ungainly arrangement separated from its launch tower, heading upwards at ever increasing speeds.
As the first headed through the 100,000 feet barrier the same happened on the next shuttle, and so on until all four were in the air.
At mission control in a bunker deep beneath the base, the progress of them was tracked.
“Number four is away and heading on a normal pattern. Ballistic trajectory is as predicted. Well done people”
The head of the project, an Air Force General, informed his people.
Number Four carried two KH-12 Recon satellites, whilst the other three each carried a pair of KH-11’s, all of which were destined for a low-mid orbit around the earth, paying particular care to Europe.
The shuttles would launch them one by one, at pre-determined times over the next two days, and from there two would return to earth whilst the other two made routine repairs to three communications birds that were also up in mid orbit before returning late next week.
These new satellites would be the first of some twenty five more that had been authorised for launch along with a dozen new communication satellites as part of a space force reorganisation exercise.
Details that they were replacements had been linked to the press, who had surprisingly not questioned it. Had they done so they would have found that none of the birds already up was due to stop working for less than half a decade, and that another dozen were sitting on ballistic launchers at Howerd Air Force Base, less than two thousand miles away.
However for the while the new satellites were put into orbit, and then command of them was switched to SATINTEL in its giant complex beneath Fort Cohawk where taskings were already being formulated for them.