2003
Lt. McMillan is scheduled to be a copilot on a joint mission with the
Europeans aboard a space station for four months [V 217].

15 June [reference stardate 0/0306.15]
Klingon forces crush Romulan resistance at their two major outposts,
forcing a Romulan withdrawal from the disputed area. The Star Empire
gives up two outposts, having taken heavy losses. Emperor Kahless is
killed in the final battle, and the Riskadh line ends, along with the
First Klingon/Romulan War [FASA].

15 October [reference stardate 0/0308]
Terran representatives sign the United Space Initiative in New York.
This landmark agreement will focus and accelerate Man's exploration of
the Sol system for the benefit of all Mankind. It also calls for the
establishment of a Solar Fleet, to maintain the rule of law throughout
the planets and to protect against unknown hostilities, a Solar Fleet
Command, Solar Bases, and eventually an academy [FASA, SFC].

October [reference stardate 0/0310]
Utilizing solar sails, Alpha Centaurians begin a concerted effort to
populate other planets within their own stellar system [FASA].

The "Lindbergh" class Space Ferry (II) enters service, replacing the Space
Shuttle as the primary surface-to-orbit craft. The ship's complement will
range from 34-131 personnel. These ships will aid in the completion of
the Orbital Power Satellite network, guaranteeing energy-independence for
Earth and also in the construction of orbital satellite-cities [SFC].

Rear Admiral Thomas Chandley, one of the most-decorated naval
heroes of Terran history, executes his brilliant blockade of Soviet ports
during the Aleutian Incident [FASA].

2004, 22 February [reference stardate 0/0402.22]
Kagran epetai-D'kariv, temporary Imperial Regent, officially takes the
throne after being confirmed by the Imperial Council [FASA].

An outer planet probe is launched from Earth [SFC].

The first major expansion of Earth's Goddard Moonbase [SFC].

Terra's Farside Moonbase begins operations, specializing in radio tele-
scope observations. In the decades to come, astronomers employing liquid
vacuum telescopes on the moon's farside will resolve three more planets
in the Alpha Centauri system. One is the size of Mercury, locked in an
eccentric orbit around Alpha Centauri A. The other two are Earth-sized
worlds in interweaving orbital paths around Alpha Centauri B [SFC, GN 18].

The Mass Driver is in use at the Clavius Mines. Raw materials are shot
back to Earth orbit for processing to feed the burgeoning industry [SFC].

2005
A vaccine to Cygnian Plague is developed by Zilzu on Tellar (61 Cygni V)
[MRM].

The first spacechild is born at the Farside Moonbase when Radio Telescope
Technician 1st Class Rita Ashworth gives birth to a 3.2 kg. boy, named
Jules after Jules Verne. This event is heralded the Earth over as a new
generation of Man has begun [SFC].

In the "Mirror" universe, Khan soon tires of leading a planet of sheep and
orders the reactivation of the space program. He takes on as his chief
executive officer his lifelong friend Joachim [TBoT #14].

07 December
The United Earth Space Probe Agency is re-established in an effort to
collocate all the space activity and hardware available on Earth under one
directive to streamline exploration and reduce operating costs. The
original signing members consist of the United Soviet Republics, the
United North American States, China, the Indian Empire, Japan, the
European Pact, and Australia. The first job of UESPA is to inventory all
spacecraft that had survived the Eugenics Wars. When this task is com-
pleted, Earth Fleet is found to consist of: 16 unmanned planetary probes,
22 Earth/Moon transports, 4 reusable boosters for launch to Earth orbit, 6
manned orbiting space stations, and 2 manned Moon bases. Due to the war,
37 various craft are declared destroyed/missing. UESPA's first major goal
is the establishment of a permanent manned presence on Mars: Marsbase 1.
The second major goal is the construction of a fleet of vessels capable of
travel to the gas giants to exploit the raw materials abundant on the
numerous moons: the "Galileo" class [STD2].

2006
Thomas Morrison, the first person to die on the moon, is buried in a
simple grave marking this historic occasion [SFC].

Man now has a foothold on most of the inhabitable planets in the solar
system. His unmanned ships have explored the inner and outermost planets,
as well as the deepest reaches of the seas. Advances in weather-control
techniques and the influx of foodstuffs from the space stations have ended
Earth's food problems. The standard of living throughout the world has
never been higher. Power and raw materials are abundant and luxuries once
considered beyond the reach of most of Earth's population are now common-
place. Major wars, which a few short years ago seemed unavoidable, are
now unthinkable. With his immediate needs satisfied, Man turns his atten-
tion and major efforts to reaching the stars. Without faster-than-light
travel, interstellar expeditions must be considered a one-way trip. At
first, five missions are considered. Three are of the generation-ship
variety. 200 volunteers are chosen for each large ship. The ships con-
tain their own ecosystem, producing food, water and power indefinitely.
Launched from one of the colony worlds, the ships will eventually build up
speeds near the speed of light. The actual trips will take thousands of
years in normal time, but due to the time-dilation effects of near-light
speeds, it will appear much shorter to the passengers. Even so it will be
the descendants of the original passengers who arrive at the destination.
The remaining two interstellar ships are to be sleeper ships, in which the
passengers are placed in a state of suspended animation to be awakened
upon arrival at the destination programmed into these computer-guided
ships. These ships are much cheaper to build, as they do not need to have
the built-in ecosystems of the generation ships, but the element of risk
is much greater [TBoT #2].

2007
Tsiolkovskygrad, the first L-5 city in space, is completed. 250 people
take up residence. Boris Karpev is the city supervisor [SFC].

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Terran space age, the most comprehen-
sive encyclopedia of space exploration is published [SFC].