Elarian National Space Program
 | |
| Country of origin | Empire of Ela'r'oech |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Acquire spaceflight by 2045. |
| Status | Active |
| Program history | |
| First flight | 15 September 2020 |
| Last flight | 23 April 2023 (latest) |
| Successes | Opportunity I, Lotus I |
| Partial failures | Opportunity II |
| Launch site(s) | Da'a'ck, Ela'r'oech New Da'a'ck, Ela'r'oech |
| Vehicle information | |
| Vehicle type | Lotus: Publicly available drone (Initially) |
| Crew vehicle | Opportunity I: O-001 |
The Elarian National Space Program is the national space program of the Empire of Ela'r'oech. Officially initiated on 23 April 2023, it has held three missions since September 2020. The first two missions were launched before the ENSP was initiated, legally. However, all missions were government-funded and sponsored.
History
Opportunity Project
The Opportunity project was the first project to be considered part of the Elarian National Space Program. Opportunity had two missions, Opportunity I and Opportunity II. Opportunity I was, despite the failure to acquire the footage supposedly captured during the flight, considered a success. Opportunity II, however, was considered a 'semi-success,' but retroactively named a failure due to the inability to actually get the drone even up to 10 km in the sky during the first attempt.
Opportunity launches
Opportunity I was the first attempt at a space mission by Ela'r'oech. It involved the building of a small engine and an area of fluff and metal to bring the object - along with a posthumous squirrel - to space. They had no specific goal other than getting the object or squirrel to space. There was a camera in the build which unfortunately died around 2 km, and it was assumed the build reached 8 km. Around September 20 the engine landed back on Earth and Charles was able to bring it to his house, however he was unable to take any pictures because his parents didn't want him "interacting with an object falling from the sky." However, there was images of the debris captured later.
Opportunity II was the second attempt. It involved a micro-drone which was unmodified, however it was attempted to reach up to 20–25 km in the sky. The first publicized event of the National Space Program, it was a failure. The drone was unable to reach heights of even 10 km during the tests and crashed numerous times. It was broadcasted in the Elarian discord server, as well as Elarian televised film.
Legacy of Opportunity
Opportunity was extremely controversial, criticized for it's lack of safety as well as a lack of records to help archive the project when it was initially started. However, it should be noted that Opportunity I was intended to be a one-time mission, with no Opportunity II, Lotus project, or Space Program afterwards.
Lotus Project
The Lotus space program, also known as the Lotus project, is the second space program initiated by the Empire of Ela'r'oech. It's main goal is to simply acquire footage of the atmosphere which Ela'r'oech can say they gained on their own, for bragging rights. Lotus I launched on 23 April 2023 after the announcement of the program as a whole.
Lotus launches
On 23 April 2023, the Lotus program was announced and subsequently launched with the deployment of Lotus I, a drone - the same one used in Opportunity II - designed to collect footage of the atmosphere and the effects of space on technology, as well as being designed to withstand higher altitudes in the atmosphere.
Administration and structure
The administration of the Elarian National Space Program is the following;
| Position | Name | Mission(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Head of the Program | Charles Madgett | Elarian National Space Program |
| Engineering Operative Head | Ian Clark | Lotus Project - Engineering |
| Head of Records, Testing Operative | Anthony Ramirez | Lotus Project - Records, Testing |
Future plans
Future plans for the Space Program are that Lotus I will have arrived back on Earth on either 24 April 2023 or 25 April 2023. Afterwards, the footage will be reviewed to determine if a second Lotus project flight is unnecessary. If the footage leads the ENSP to conclude that a second flight is, then Lotus II will be another mission for LTS-001 for what will more or less be the same purpose. Afterwards, Lotus III - if it happens - will involve further modification of another drone, the LTS-012. The LTS-012 will be used for all kinds of purposes, such as specifically taking recordings of birds and the like, as well as undergoing even higher air pressures.
After Lotus, "Bend & Break"
After Lotus, a third planned program is presumed to launch simply called "Bend." It's name refers to a "bend and break" tactical plan which will be used to get an Elarian in space or, at minimum, in the atmosphere and above the ground independently. Bend I will likely be the first to test capabilities for those above the ground, with its subsequent missions holding the same or similar objectives. After "Bend," "Break" will be the fourth program which will attempt to get an Elarian above the ground independently by its final mission.
The Bend and Break tactical plan is presumed to last for at least 10–20 years, until around 2045 as stated by the ENSP's objective, and naturally this means the two programs will have to meet similar fates as being doomed to either initiate or end at that time.
List of missions from the Elarian National Space Program
| Program and program path | Mission | Vehicle and crew | Launch date | Landing date | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opportunity
|
Opportunity I | O-001 | September 2020 | 20 September 2020 | There was a camera in the build which unfortunately died around 2 km, and it was assumed the build reached 8 km. Around September 20 the engine landed back on Earth. | Success |
| Opportunity II | ODX-002 | 2022 | 2022 | It was attempted to reach up to 20–25 km in the sky. The first publicized event of the National Space Program, it was a failure. The drone was unable to reach heights of even 10 km during the tests and crashed numerous times. | Failure | |
| Lotus
|
Lotus I | LTS-001 | 23 April 2023 | 24 April 2023 | On 23 April 2023, the Lotus program was announced and subsequently launched with the deployment of Lotus I, a drone designed to collect footage of the atmosphere and the effects of space on technology. The drone was modified by two engineers in the Empire of Ela'r'oech and was designed to capture footage by attaching a micro-camera to it, as well as being designed to withstand higher altitudes in the atmosphere. | Success |
| Lotus II | LTS-001 | TBA | TBA | After the success of Lotus I, Lotus II was expected to launch on 25 April 2023 with the same drone, in order to take more footage and the like. If Lotus II is also a success, it is assumed that Lotus III will launch in April 2023 as well before moving on to either Lotus IV or Bend I. However, it is assumed that either Lotus II or Lotus III will be crewed. | TBA |