Explosion at Julianehåb

A major disaster at the Julianehåb launch facility has left 3 dead and a major clean up operation. GOSsiP had made a brave attempt to leapfrog the other space agencies by launching an interplanetary satellite on a lunar fly-by mission. The initial launch attempt on the 15^th of December was delayed with just one second before ignition of the two stage rocket when sensors detected a malfunction in the rocket motors. The launch was rescheduled to the 30^th of December. On the relaunch the countdown was proceeding normally until the ignition phase of the rocket. At T-3 seconds, the rocket exploded on the launch pad in a catastrophic explosion. The launch pad itself was badly damaged in the explosion and will require repairs costing $25,000,000¹.

Further investigation into the accident has revealed that the clockwork mechanism used to correctly sequence the flow of fuel and oxygen into the rocket motor cowling had been installed upside down, causing a major build up of the fuel and oxygen mix before the ignition of the combination and then leading to the major explosion. GOSsiP researchers have, in a major scientific breakthrough, been able to replace the mechanism with a new transistorised version that has asymmetric connectors and hence cannot be installed in the incorrect orientation². GOSsiP's one stage rocket starts 1959 with a safety rating of 26%.

Honohulu repaired; Corruption in R&D

SHADO's Honohulu launch facility has now been repaired following last years launchpad explosion and is being prepped for another launch attempt currently scheduled for the 10^th of December 1959. As the repairs at Honohulu continued, more research into both the one stage rocket (safety rating now 48%) and the interplanetary satellite (safety rating now 39%) were made during the year.

Also reported from Honohulu has been the discovery of nefarious practices within SHADO's research and development programs which have reportedly diverted money from actual research and into extensive (and expensive) beach parties on the north shore of Oahu Island nearing the main viewing area for the rocket launches. Suggestions that some of the expensive barbecue equipment was supplied by South African companies ultimately connected to that country's secret police have been denied by both SHADO and SARSA³.

Mass roundup of spies in South Africa

SARSA has released a press statement condemning what it called "a concerted and mass attempt at espionage". It has accused all the other agencies of attempting to acquire its advanced space technology. It has reassured all concerned that, had it any undeveloped space programs it would have ensured that the leaking of that program to its competition⁴

Woomera also promotes reuse

In an apparent attempt to learn from Smaug Inc.'s experiments into the use of sea water to allow the quick turnaround of launch facilities, the Australian Space Agency has reported that it is conducting experiments into similar technology using the amber nectar instead of sea water. Officials explained that "as Woomera is hundreds of kilometers from the sea we obviously cannot use sea water as the coolant mechanism. We do have to keep a large supply of the beer for use on the facility, so we thought we'd see if it can be used in a similar fashion to that reported to be used by Smaug Inc."⁵

Flu outbreak forces consideration of backup crews

Following the major worldwide breakout of Influenza, Smaug Inc., is reportedly considering the assignment of backup crews to its future manned flight plans. If a manned launch had been planned for this year without a backup crew in place, the outbreak would have caused Smaug Inc. to scrub the launch as a result of the outbreak⁶.

Slow start for Smaug Inc.

Smaug Inc. has started a two stage rocket program, but the program has had a slow start reaching the dizzying safety factor of 16% in its first year of research. Smaug Inc. also improved the safety rating of its orbital satellite program, which reached a safety rating of 51%.

Big rockets for SARSA

SARSA is aiming both big and high with its new three stage rocket program codenamed "BFL 3". With rapid (if expensive) progress into this program, the BFL 3 already has a safety rating of 27%, while the one stage rocket was also the beneficiary of research with its safety rating raised to 85% (the maximum rating this rocket can be increased to by research).

Astronaut program started at ASA

The Australian Space Agency has started an extensive training program for its astronauts with an initial intake of three crew members. The Commander, Steve Zodiac, is reported to have escaped serious injury when someone planted a loosely lidded paper cup full of hot coffee in the training centrifuge. It is a mystery as to how the offending cup got in there as security was tight and only the three astronauts were anywhere near the vicinity at the time of the exercise. Dr Venus was unavailable for comment. After a quick sponge down the interior of the centrifuge capsule was as good as new.

Excellent progress on the two stage rocket (now at a safety factor of 68%) and the three person capsule (safety rating of 53%) has been achieved by ASA despite a slight scaling back of the research plans. Despite the lack of immediate plans for launches, ASA is looking forward to future missions with the purchase of an additional two stage rocket.

Launch Calendar

The provisional calendar for launches planned in 1959 (assuming none of the missions are rushed or scrubbed) is as follows:

10^th Dec

Launch by SHADO

20^th Dec

Orbital Satellite from SARSA⁷

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Last updated: December 21, 2021 at 19:38 pm

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First Orbital Satellite is South African

On the 12^th of December, SARSA launched the world's first man made satellite into orbit around the Earth and successfully turned it on. Deep space radio telescopes around the world have reported transmissions from the satellite but have yet to decode the transmissions. A Spokesman from Jodrell Bank is quoted as saying: "We know it's morse code - but the sequence makes no sense at all". South African officials refused to comment on the output of the satellite, but did express satisfaction with the progress of both the one stage rocket (a safety factor of 76%) and the orbital satellite (a safety factor of 96%) programs.

As a consequence of the successful satellite launch, and in line with SARSA's new motto of "Bigger, Faster, Louder", the South African Government has ordered SARSA to launch a second orbital satellite as a matter of urgency. Suggestions that the satellite will be managed by the South African Secret Police has been downplayed by government spokesmen¹.

Major Explosion detected near Honolulu

Shocked officials from the Hawaiian island of Oahu have explained that the large explosion on the 13^th of December from near the north of the island was from a launch facility owned by SHADO. It appears that an attempted launch encountered problems during the final countdown sequence. Although the initial problem was corrected by the ground base mission control and the countdown resumed, the problem re-occurred only three seconds later. Although the rocket was fully fuelled and ready to go, the rocket failed to ignite as planned and the countdown aborted. However it appears that the explosive bolts which would normally be used to release the rocket for the actual liftoff did not receive the abort command and exploded as planned. This then ignited the fully fuelled rocket without the normal hardware and software controls being in place and the rocket exploded on the pad. Fortunately there was no casualties, but the launch facility was badly damaged in the explosion².

Late change leaves GOSsiP with two stage rockets

For a while it looked like multiple agencies would be joining ASA in starting their rocket development directly with a two stage rocket. However a late change in plans meant that Smaug Inc. decided against storing their liquid oxygen supplies in the nearby dormant volcano after the volcano showed signs of not being quite so dormant. Smaug Inc has, instead, concentrated on a three person capsule program (raising its safety factor to higher than that of its orbital satellite program at 34%). GOSsiP's new two stage rocket is still at the prototype stage having been estimated at a safety factor of just 11%.

Indian Ocean tensions rise

The Australian government has announced a shift in priorities following on from the successful satellite launch. A bid by the Australian Navy, backed by the Army and Air Force to switch funding from the space agency to their own procurement programs was successful³.

ASA Press release

ASA’s continued commitment to its goals progress with further research into the XL rocket programme (Safety factor 37%) and a related investment in capsules (Safety factor 21%).

Rumours that the alleged spies were taken on a trekking holiday into the outback and abandoned without communications on a remote stretch of highway rumoured to be the hunting ground of the as yet uncaught crazed serial axe killer Dingo Dan are unfounded.

In the meantime, Dr Venus is now reported to have been admitted to the crew and professor Matt has accepted a ground support role. Steve Zodiac may have had an official reprimand after being overheard to say of the appointment “well, at least we will have decent coffee in orbit….”

Smaug Inc. claims location will promote reuse

Smaug Inc. is claiming that its novel use of local seawater supplies will enable its launch facility to provide such a fast turnaround that it may be able to make two launches from the same launch facility. Although Smaug Inc. is still reluctant to reveal the location of the base, sources suggest that it is close to a large body of water, which can be used to dissipate the heat of a launch. Some experts, though, are sceptical of the long term viability of the technique⁴.

SHADO looks to robots

It looks like, that for the time being at least, SHADO has spurned the use of humans in its space program and has concentrated on expanding the capabilities of its robots by starting both an Interplanetary Satellite (Safety factor 16%) and a Lunar Probe Lander (Safety factor 10%) programs. Both of these programs are still at an early stage of development. This focus on robots has encouraged robotic research across the globe and it is expected that SHADO will be reaping the respect of the many new graduates of courses in robotics⁵, though maybe not that of the economists in the rest of the Space Habitation Agency who are complaining of the profligacy of the direct operations division.

Norway, Sweden and Denmark pledge continued support

After intense lobbying by SAAB, the Swedish engineering group, the governments have pledged to improve their support of GOSsiP by providing a 50% subsidy to the space agency during 1958. It is expected that as a result of the anticipated hardware purchases, the SAAB will be able to preserve a substantial number of aerospace jobs until the new Saab 35 Draken fighter comes into operation at the end of the decade⁶.

Launch Calendar

Only one launch has been planned for 1958, no doubt reflecting the general cautiousness of the space agency or perhaps uncertainty on how to proceed following SARSA's successful orbital satellite mission.

The provisional calendar for launches planned in 1958 (assuming none of the missions are rushed or scrubbed) is as follows:

15^th Dec

GOSsiP

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Last updated: December 21, 2021 at 19:38 pm

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