01 January, 2025 - The USA, UK, Australia, and India form the Alliance for Space Activities to exploit outer space. ASA acquires the top officers, scientists, and administrators each nation has to offer. Unmanned mining probes launched by mass drivers to Luna, Venus, Mars, and Ganymede.
1250 pop, 10k CI, 6automines, HUGE shortage for research, otherwise conventional start. 1 Automine and a Massdriver SMd in on each, HW minerals SMd on each, ruin on Luna and Mars SMd. Commercial Conventional engine Instant RSTd. No survey on any of these
17 September, 2025 - The Alliance for Space Activities launches ST Columbia 001, a space truck for a lunar cargo run. With a single small cargo hold and 70km\s of speed, this engine will allow the fastest transit known to man. Luna in 8hrs, Mars in 32!
22 September, 2025 - ASA Columbia 001 finishes flight testing and begins to load infrastructure for the planned lunar colony.
27 September, 2025 - ASA Columbia 001 finally launches on it's maiden voyage, having been hampered by regulatory delays. I forgot to separate it from the Shipyard TG
10 January, 2026 - Existence of darkside ruins confirmed! ASA denies reports that Transnewtonian technology was located in these ruins. In other news, ASA launched a massive new modernization program today to convert moribund industrial capacity into new factories. Reports indicate that the ASA also intends to shutdown all mining in their nations until they can be converted into new safer, automated mines. Cryonics research has also been rumoured, along with interest in possibly developing new kinds of reactors.
10 June, 2026 - Construction begins on a new Spaceport complex in the Australian Outback, and recruiters begin preliminary recruitment for space colonists.
12 July, 2026 - The first 500 settlers arrive in Luna City! The ASA appoints x as the new Governor of Luna, and continues to deny reports of plans to use new troops to explore the darkside ruins. Spokesperson said "We don't even have a design for a troopship, much less a functional one. Those brigades are training for purely terrestrial support. "
24 October, 2026 - The ASA introduces a new nuclear thermal engine into full production today. The design of these engines, and the larger cargo and colonist vessels they will allow, have apparently been a close held secret till now. Shipyards in orbit are being expanded to accommodate the construction of these new ships. Rumors of a troop carrying variant are still being denied.
(Thats all for now. Sleep time. )
The plan is to SM in another 2000 pop when first meeting any kind of hostile aliens, representing the rest of the world joining the ASA. I wish I could have made an NPR with a conventional start and edit its' start to represent the other world factions, but that is apparently outside the purview of Aurora.