1st of January, 2075
With great fanfare, the United Nations Space Administration came into being on this date: the result of years of negotiations, the UNSA combined the remains of NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Russian Space Program. With a hefty - though limited - funding, Chief Secretary Amber Davies assumed her duties as the one human responsible for the salvation of the entire human race. A graduate of Oxford and years of experience running various UN agencies under her belt, Ms Davies had broad shoulders to carry this gigantic burden.
"So even with all our research and funding behind you, it'll take three years to achieve any results?" Amber Davies said incredulously. She was sitting behind the mahogany desk that some unknown interior designer had deemed fit for her office. Though the table made her diminutive size even more glaringly obvious, she did expect it to give her a badly needed influx of gravitas. Which she could certainly use, staring down the egghead standing on the other side.
"Hey, we're swimming into uncharted waters here! We need some sort of an overall theory on trans-newtonian science before we can even start thinking about applying it", Billy John defended his team.
"Just as well I say. We still have loads to do to shake things down, both in the organization and out there, with manufacturing and training and all", said commodore Ashley Stevens in his utterly placid tone. Technically a civilian, as he was no longer serving any national flag, he had demanded that, for ease of organization and command, the UNSA adopt a military rank system loosely based on the Royal Navy. Even dressed in a dark blue suit as he was, Stevens had that rigidity of spine so prevalent among military leaders.
"Well, you are right with that, Commodore", Davies admitted. She sighed and dismissed them. It would take a lot of good PR to make the public swallow this pill, she mused to herself, enjoying the view of the Swiss Alps visible from her office.
The first years were a quiet period of building up the organization and the various branches. UNSA had a steady budget, paid for by UN member nations, and direct access to a number of manufacturing sites. The organization ran its own mining service and employed - directly and indirectly - thirty-five million people. Commodore Stevens formed the operational headquarters, jokingly called Mission Control, with seven offices:
- Operations Office with Commander Austin
- Intelligence Office with Commander Grant
- Communications Office with Lt.Commander Sen
- Survey Office with Commander Bailey
- Public Affairs Office with Commander Parkin
- Logistics Office with Commander Jenkins
- Fighter Operations Office with Commander Barnett
Despite their titles, they were mostly originally civilians, though thanks to the decade of warfare, several had some military experience. However, the UNSA mandate was strictly civilian in nature and prohibited the Administration from any military equipment or force.
Proof of progress was made in 2076, when the first UNSA financial centre opened. Another was to opened the next year, as Secretary Davies had made financial stability of great importance. In June Commander Bailey was recognized for her efforts on forming the Survey Office with a promotion to Captain.
"I'm afraid to tell you but the tumour was indeed malignant", the doctor informed Davies. The chief secretary pinched the bridge of her nose in the only sign of visible annoyance.
"But with modern medicine, we'll start the treatment immediately and should suffer only minimal discomfort", the doctor continued.
"That's good", Davies said and killed the connection. She had work to do, now including a covert search for a suitable successor.
On 16th February UNSA announced that the teams led by Billy John had formulated a general Trans-Newtonian Theory, enabling the scientists to focus on more practical aspects enabled by the TN-minerals. This enabled UNSA to begin the complex process of upgrading factories and mines to TN-standards, massively increasing their output. On the scientific side, Ryan Young assumed control of all teams and guided them towards geological survey instruments and rudimentary gravitational sensors or GADAR, jokingly called "gaydars" by the public.
Civil war erupted in Venezuela and soon her neighbours were involved in the bloody conflict.
Early in 2079 with geological sensors and the first prototype GADAR completed, Young transferred control of UNSA research labs to Samuel Baxter, attempting to modify existing pressurized water reactors to operate with Sorium, possibly increasing their output at least ten-fold, if not more. By next spring, Baxter was successful and presented a fully working Watkins PW Reactor PB-2 to the public, though most media attention was focused on the fourth outbreak of Ebola in west Africa. Baxter kept working, now on Nuclear Thermal Engines utilizing Sorium to boost their output.
In 2081, Commander Barnett was promoted to Captain, Korea announced the annulment of the Seoul quarantine zone and UNSA team leader Baxter unveiled the prototype nuclear thermal engine. The contract to build them was awarded to Saab, who named their first model the Saab NT-25/5 engine. Research efforts were directed towards improving manufacturing process, under the watchful eye of Billy John.
Through careful diplomatic manoeuvres, Chief Secretary Davis convinced several nations to increase the UNSA manufacturing allocations. Coinciding with Billy John's improvements to construction methods, UNSA industrial output was improved significantly.
"Welcome to the cancer club commodore", Davis said with a rueful smile. The former military man had more gray than black in his hair but his impassive face remained expressionless.
"Thank you madam secretary, I have some fine company in it", he said.
At the beginning of 2085, UNSA had added the following assets:
Financial Centre x2
Construction Factory x51
Mine x11
It's financial situation was stable and both fuel and mineral stockpiles were growing steadily.