Izistan
28-07-2006, 23:13
Bethesda Island was smack dab in the middle of the equator. Which was excellent for space launch purposes, but not so great for the personnel, who had come from a much milder climate. But they weren't there to bitch, they were there to get whatever they were called upon to deliver stuff to orbit or more distant targets...
- - - - - -
Bethesda Island Launch Complex, Flight Operations Center, V -3:00 hours before launch.
“Fueling operations complete at -3:00 hours. Right people, take 15 and get back here. We've got one hell of a job ahead of us. Namely flying that damn thing.” Boris gestured at the ROMBUS (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/rombus.htm)sitting on the pad some five kilometers away through the reinforced windows of the bunker (when heavy lift rockets blow up, they do so in a big way). He'd been flight director for the past five years and intended to see the rest of the project through, no goddamn accident was going to cost him the chance to see the fulfillment of a national dream on his watch by god. He shook his head and went for a cup of coffee as a assistant took his station.
Designated Protest Area, Visitors Area, Bethesda Island. V -1:30 before launch.
Lieutenant Alhmann and his platoon gazed at the knot of protesters. He didn't give a damn about what they stood for or what group (though seemed to be from that nutty Luddite group from Peral), just that they seemed pretty angry. They kept to their assigned area though, but Alhmann was ready with his platoon to leap into action at the first sign of so called “anti-social activities”. He caressed the pepper ball launcher in his hands. Oh yes, he was ready. He glimpsed the immense outline of the IMS Whitehall steaming out at sea with its battle group, ready to defend the Izistani possession from any hostile action. Alhmann was a veteran of the colonial theater in the war against Gerflaanich and had seen what heavy caliber guns could do to their targets, and it wasn't pretty to put it mildly.
Launch Pad 12B, Bethesda Island, V 0:00.
The countdown reached its climax and the warning siren blared twice. Somebody in the Operations Center remembered to announce ignition and did so with great gusto. Flames and exhaust gases suddenly billowed under the immense 'stage and a half' reusable heavy lifter as thirty six plug nozzle rocket motors fired, and the bulky rocket moved. It rose off the launch pad, past the gantry (to a rousing cry of “Liftoff!” that rang in the ears of the watching billions. The noise of the launch broke over the operations center, visitors area, and after a small delay, the Whitehall, like a immense thunderclap that went on and on. Television cameras rose to follow the vehicle and its payload of three cosmonauts in their kludge of a spacecraft and a trans-lunar injection stage as it rose to orbit.
Boris sat back in his chair with the biggest grin he had ever managed to have in his life. They weren't out of trouble yet, but at least launch had gone smoothly. After a moment he joined in the noisy celebration of his coworkers as the first hydrogen tank separated cleanly and drifted back to Earth under a billowing canopy of parachutes.
[OOC: I've wanted to do this since 2004. Done a lot of research and what not since then, actually pretty interesting stuff. Anyway feel free to do a news report or something like that, just don't shoot it down or something. That would result in...repercussions. Also see said lunar lander/orbiter here, (http://orbital.weapon.system.googlepages.com/lunarstuff) note they are only temporary measures as I have something better up my sleeve. Anyway, enjoy!]
- - - - - -
Bethesda Island Launch Complex, Flight Operations Center, V -3:00 hours before launch.
“Fueling operations complete at -3:00 hours. Right people, take 15 and get back here. We've got one hell of a job ahead of us. Namely flying that damn thing.” Boris gestured at the ROMBUS (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/rombus.htm)sitting on the pad some five kilometers away through the reinforced windows of the bunker (when heavy lift rockets blow up, they do so in a big way). He'd been flight director for the past five years and intended to see the rest of the project through, no goddamn accident was going to cost him the chance to see the fulfillment of a national dream on his watch by god. He shook his head and went for a cup of coffee as a assistant took his station.
Designated Protest Area, Visitors Area, Bethesda Island. V -1:30 before launch.
Lieutenant Alhmann and his platoon gazed at the knot of protesters. He didn't give a damn about what they stood for or what group (though seemed to be from that nutty Luddite group from Peral), just that they seemed pretty angry. They kept to their assigned area though, but Alhmann was ready with his platoon to leap into action at the first sign of so called “anti-social activities”. He caressed the pepper ball launcher in his hands. Oh yes, he was ready. He glimpsed the immense outline of the IMS Whitehall steaming out at sea with its battle group, ready to defend the Izistani possession from any hostile action. Alhmann was a veteran of the colonial theater in the war against Gerflaanich and had seen what heavy caliber guns could do to their targets, and it wasn't pretty to put it mildly.
Launch Pad 12B, Bethesda Island, V 0:00.
The countdown reached its climax and the warning siren blared twice. Somebody in the Operations Center remembered to announce ignition and did so with great gusto. Flames and exhaust gases suddenly billowed under the immense 'stage and a half' reusable heavy lifter as thirty six plug nozzle rocket motors fired, and the bulky rocket moved. It rose off the launch pad, past the gantry (to a rousing cry of “Liftoff!” that rang in the ears of the watching billions. The noise of the launch broke over the operations center, visitors area, and after a small delay, the Whitehall, like a immense thunderclap that went on and on. Television cameras rose to follow the vehicle and its payload of three cosmonauts in their kludge of a spacecraft and a trans-lunar injection stage as it rose to orbit.
Boris sat back in his chair with the biggest grin he had ever managed to have in his life. They weren't out of trouble yet, but at least launch had gone smoothly. After a moment he joined in the noisy celebration of his coworkers as the first hydrogen tank separated cleanly and drifted back to Earth under a billowing canopy of parachutes.
[OOC: I've wanted to do this since 2004. Done a lot of research and what not since then, actually pretty interesting stuff. Anyway feel free to do a news report or something like that, just don't shoot it down or something. That would result in...repercussions. Also see said lunar lander/orbiter here, (http://orbital.weapon.system.googlepages.com/lunarstuff) note they are only temporary measures as I have something better up my sleeve. Anyway, enjoy!]