Gray Payne
23-11-2008, 08:07
Nation: Gray Delta, (GD for short)
Homeland on Earth: GD pan-handle, North America
Government Type: Authoritarian Council – Nine Members (Election Term: life or voluntary retirement)
Ruler: Chairman- Newman Zeiss
Capital: Cerberus Deep Space Station
Major Colonies: Titan, Gliese 581 d, Tau Ceti and Beta Caeli
Brief History:
Wracked by internal conflicts and armed revolutions, the former nation of Gray Payne went through three major government changes (usually preceded by civil war) before the concept of a life long elected governmental oligarchy took hold. Once chosen to run and elected by the population, the council members often become pragmatic leaders with the long term interests of the nation their over-riding concern.
The current program of space exploration has paid handsome dividends:
1. GD has a nigh inexhaustible supply of He3 for reactors;
2. Is in a position to study ET life formation on Titan and will use the resulting experiments to change genetic manufacturing techniques in GD (indeed Earth as well);
3. Is well on its way to designing a new generation of dual transfer point drives (DTP Drive) that will be able to effect transfers between two gravitational points as weak as the planet Earth. Researchers are confident the last calculations will be modeled soon.
Current DTP drives require a stellar mass with a gravity of at least 12% that of the Sun. Earth's is about 1.8% of the Sun. Lower gravity requirements will mean smaller ships with less delta V expenditure can explore planetary systems by departing and arriving near planetary bodies instead of having to travel closer to and from the stellar core (currently a ship has to travel to inside the orbit of Mercury to transfer). The promise of this vastly reduced cost for interstellar travel may trigger yet another sea change in the politics of GD.
Homeland on Earth: GD pan-handle, North America
Government Type: Authoritarian Council – Nine Members (Election Term: life or voluntary retirement)
Ruler: Chairman- Newman Zeiss
Capital: Cerberus Deep Space Station
Major Colonies: Titan, Gliese 581 d, Tau Ceti and Beta Caeli
Brief History:
Wracked by internal conflicts and armed revolutions, the former nation of Gray Payne went through three major government changes (usually preceded by civil war) before the concept of a life long elected governmental oligarchy took hold. Once chosen to run and elected by the population, the council members often become pragmatic leaders with the long term interests of the nation their over-riding concern.
The current program of space exploration has paid handsome dividends:
1. GD has a nigh inexhaustible supply of He3 for reactors;
2. Is in a position to study ET life formation on Titan and will use the resulting experiments to change genetic manufacturing techniques in GD (indeed Earth as well);
3. Is well on its way to designing a new generation of dual transfer point drives (DTP Drive) that will be able to effect transfers between two gravitational points as weak as the planet Earth. Researchers are confident the last calculations will be modeled soon.
Current DTP drives require a stellar mass with a gravity of at least 12% that of the Sun. Earth's is about 1.8% of the Sun. Lower gravity requirements will mean smaller ships with less delta V expenditure can explore planetary systems by departing and arriving near planetary bodies instead of having to travel closer to and from the stellar core (currently a ship has to travel to inside the orbit of Mercury to transfer). The promise of this vastly reduced cost for interstellar travel may trigger yet another sea change in the politics of GD.