1982
On Earth, Element 109 is discovered in India [MRM].

Project "Galileo" departs from Earth orbit for Jupiter. It will descend
into the Jovian atmosphere behind a heat shield, radioing back data until
the increasing pressure crushes the hull, about 30 minutes after entry
[SFC].

The Lunar Polar Orbiter transmits data concerning the surface chemistry
and heat flow on the moon [SFC].

01 August [reference stardate -1/8208.1]
Phoenix Enterprises Limited is established as a Terran seagoing shipping
firm operating out of Sydney, Australia. One of the few corporations to
survive the Eugenics Wars relatively intact, Phoenix Enterprises will be
instrumental in maintaining the tenuous seaborne contacts between sur-
vivors during Earth's reconstruction. After the development of warp drive
in the 21st Century, Phoenix will will become a space-based transportation
firm. It will eventually become one of the major U.F.P.-wide commercial
carriers in space, with offices in Salazaar, Sol, Betelgeuse, Argelian,
and Antares systems [FASA].

Construction begins on Starlab, Earth's first permanently manned space
station. Though inhabited mainly by Americans, the space station will
utilize many foreign scientists on its civilian staff [TBoT #2].

1983, February
Dr. Adam Charon begins his genetic-control experiments. Using thousands
of subjects from all over Earth (including his own wife and son), Charon
attempts to improve the Human race artificially by editing out "bad"
influences in genetic structures, and adding in "improvements" which will
maximize the potential mental and physical development of the subject
fetuses. The children resulting from these experiments will eventually
grow up to be almost perfect examples of Human developments [TBoT #2].

On Earth, Element 110 is discovered in India. A highly fissionable and
unstable material, Element 110 will be used against Odo in late 2371 by
the High Gul to immobilize the Changeling and prevent him from morphing
[MRM, DSN #13].

The Space Telescope is orbited. This 2.4 meter aperature optical tele-
scope working above atmospheric turbulance, will revolutionize Man's view
of the universe [SFC].

The Venus Atmospheric Balloon enters the Venusian atmosphere, sending back
data from its gondola of scientific instruments. It circles the planet on
the stratospheric winds for several days [SFC].

August
The United States, Russia, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Australia
begin construction of a permanent base on the Moon. The purpose of the
base is two-fold: first to prove that different nations can indeed coop-
erate on a large-scale space project (thus helping to relieve political
tensions); and second, to demonstrate the practical value of space explor-
ation by mining heavy metals from beneath the lunar surface [TBoT #2].

1984
With Starlab completed, full operations begin. Agricultural experiments
are added to Moon Base One [TBoT #2].

1985
A probe flies by Halley's Comet with a battery of instruments that measure
its tenuous tail, and continues on to encounter the comet Tempel 2 in 1988
[SFC].

Moon Base One is completed and full operations begin. A crew is selected
for the first manned flight to Mars (Sol IV). Though the crew is composed
of American astronauts, the ship itself will be built in the lower gravity
of Moon Base by members of all participating nations [TBoT #2].

Jeremy Grayson, great-great-great-grandfather of Amanda Grayson, enters
the "refugee business" [GN 2].

1986, 28 January [reference stardate -1/8601.28]
The Terran orbital transport "Challenger" explodes shortly after launch,
killing all seven crewmembers aboard. This is the worst tragedy to date
in Terra's fledgling space program [FASA, TBoT #14].

January [reference stardate -1/8601]
Expansion of the Romulan Empire begins spinward [FASA].

February [reference stardate -1/8602]
Terrans launch their first permanent, orbital space station [FASA].

17 February
Tom Raymond is born in Secaucus, New Jersey, on Earth [TNG 126].

Multiple asteroid rendezvous missions view these bodies in space close-up
with an eye on the future mining of these interplanetary travelers [SFC].

March
The success of Starlab prompts its backers to begin plans for an even
larger space station which will house over 10,000 permanent inhabitants
and be Man's first true colony in space. To further emphasize the prac-
ticality and importance of space exploration, plans call for the station
to be manufactured primarily from materials mined from the Moon, and if
possible, from Mars. The station is to be built in sections, and as each
section is completed, it will become immediately operational, thus
allowing the station, in effect, to build itself. If sucessful, this
ambitious project will represent Man's greatest space achievement. It
will not only include scientific and industrial sections (making such
items as frictionless ball bearings, which can be produced only in weight-
less conditions), but will also grow its own food and provide reliable
solar energy via microwave to a power-hungry Earth [TBoT #2].

July
The first manned Martian mission is launched from orbit around the moon
[TBoT #2].

A. Bartlett Giamatti becomes president of the National Baseball League,
a position he will hold until a fatal heart attack in 1989 [DSN #23].

The drug Coradrenalin is developed on Earth from Adrenalin, to treat
severe exposure and frostbite after its unsuccessful use in cryogenic
labs [MRM].

Admiral Kirk lands in San Francisco on Earth from 2287 in a Klingon
scout vessel. With the help of his crew, he transports two Humpback
whales and Dr. Gillian Taylor to the 23rd Century to stop an alien
probe [ST IV].

Dulmer and Lucsly in 2373 will be assigned to evaluate the immediate
consequences of Kirk's actions and use the information as part of a
new curriculum on Temporal Mechanics being developed for the Star Fleet
Academy [SNW II].

On Earth, Marcus Nichols "invents" transparent aluminum with help from
Commander Scott of the ex-U.S.S. "Enterprise" (possibly "a number
of years too early" in this timeline) [ST IV].

1987, March [reference stardate -1/8703]
The Andorians test their first prototypes of sublight interstellar craft
[FASA].

24 April
Gabriel Bell, the father of Earth's post-modern reformation, is born
[DSN 458, DSN 480].

On Omega IV it is the Year of the Red Bird (plus or minus 5 years) [OG].

The drug Cordrazine is developed on Earth and used in cryogenics labs
[MRM].

The first manned Martian expedition lands on Mars. Unlike the first lunar
flights, all of the Martian crew will visit the surface. The main mission
ship, the "Willy Ley" (named after a pioneer rocket experimenter), will
remain in orbit while its three shuttle crafts, the "Issac Asimov," the
"Ray Bradbury," and the "John Carter" (evidence that the Martian mission
crew remember earlier "visitors" to Mars), ferry the astronauts and their
experimental devices to and from the surface. This will allow the crew to
explore much of the Martian surface--more, in fact, than the total surface
of the Moon explored by all of the "Apollo" missions combined. At the end
of their three-month stay, the astronauts will board a recently arrived
ship (the "John F. Kennedy"), which has been launched unmanned from Moon
orbit for this purpose. The "Willy Ley" will remain in Mars orbit, along
with the three shuttles and permanent experimental and informational de-
vices on Mars' surface, to serve as a base for future missions. Thus,
following journeys to Mars needn't be encumbered by a large ship and can
be launched for much less money [TBoT #2].

In the "Mirror" universe: A shift in political climate, no doubt fueled by
growing public distrust of space exploration, causes the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration to be disbanded. Other nations soon follow suit.
Numerous sociologists oppose such a move, warning that it could
produce global paranoia and stagnation. Their protests are ignored. The
governments of Earth choose instead to direct funds toward the advancement
of genetic research [TBoT #14].