SD.net's World (RAR!)

[DarthShady]

The Shadow Empire votes "Yes" to the MAP proposed by JSEZ.

[MKSheppard]

Tian Xian Satellite flops spectacularly, becomes ballistic missile

Several million dollars of launch vehicle and a spy satellite worth at least a few dozen million dollars re-entered earth's atmosphere in a fiery mess later this afternoon as Tian Xian engineers fatally miscalculated the calculations for inserting a heavy reconnaisance satellite into MEO.

Equipped with a 3.2 meter main mirror, it could resolve down to about 12 inches.

Hm. Assuming 450 line resolution (40% better than Corona); and a resolution of 1 foot at 1,050 miles; it comes
down to an optical system being:

14 meter focal length (computed)
3.5 meter mirror (from what you gave)

Now; you COULD get around the focal length by making the focal length "longer" via a series of mirrors; but your 3.5 meter mirror is a huge limitation; since the cargo bay of an AN-124 is 6.4m wide by 4.4m high; not leaving you much room for "wrapping".

So the spacecraft is going to have to be near full length for it's mirror. That causes problems; as the cargo bay of the An-124 is only 26m long; and something like 15-16 meters is going to be for the satellite itself; leaving us only 11 meters for the booster, which I'll assume is about 4 meters in diameter to allow some clearance room.

That gives us a booster volume of 138.28 m3; and at the common density of 1,400 kg/m3 for solid propellants; that means the booster weighs about 193,592 kg; giving us an upper limit for booster weight versus volume.

The maximum payload on an An-124 is 122 metric tons of cargo giving us a max upper limit of how big and heavy this sucker can be...

Assuming a ISP of 290 (same as Pegasus Booster); it gives us an exhaust velocity of 2,844.9 m/sec; and a satellite mass of 10,000 kg (the KH-11 has a 2.3 m diameter mirror and weighs like 10,000 kg) - this is no tiny sat - and with the following three stages set up with the same proportion as in Pegasus ALB:

1st Stage: 75,000 kg of Propellant; 7,500 kg structural mass (10% of propellant mass)
2nd Stage:22,500 kg of propellant; 2,250 kg structural mass (10% of propellant mass)
3rd Stage:6,000 kg of propellant; 600 kg structural mass (10% of propellant mass)

4th Stage : 10,000 kg satellite

for an all up missile weight of 123.85 metric tons.

And we only get a delta V of 6.1 km/sec; which is nice for a ballistic missile, not for a space launch vehical.

(It takes about 10.5 km/sec delta v to get from earth to MEO. Since you're air launching above most of the thickest, densest air thanks to air launch; you can get rid of about 0.4-0.5 km/sec of delta v due to atmospheric drag; so it's 10 km/sec.)

So Sorry; but you fail. No cheap air launches of spy satellites for you.

See what I mean about virtual attrition?

I suggest you invest in PROTON if you want real satellites up there spying on us.

OR

You can cut your payload weight to about 1,500 kg; that gives you MEO capabilities; but that means you're limited to about KH-4A CORONA weight (2,000 kg); and that means a severe degradation in capabilities.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

The Department of Defense is currently trying to weigh its options regarding the competing Shepnukistani and ITR arms deals. At the moment, it is considering buying a combination of JOCAMs for its SH-60s and Fastbeards for its surface ships and coastal defenses.

[Mr Bean]

BBC reports have released the following figures for investments into the Space program located at the White Sands International space station.

FY'08 Offical Budget allocation totaled 168 Billion Dollars towards the space program
FY'08 Sales from the decommission, scrapping and sale of former military hardware totaled 39 billion dollars of which 40% was invested into the space program
FY'08 Foreign investment in the space program totaled 95 Billion dollars from six donor countries
FY'08 The Crown has donated assets worth 1.8 Billion dollars to the space program.

In total this year 280.4 billion dollars were allocated to the UKB space program.

[Master_Baerne]

Baernish MinState
File BMS-1

The Minister of State, acting on instructions from His Grace Duke James, asks the members of JSEZ if there is anything the Sovereign Duchy of Baerne can do to aid the exploration of the Final Frontier.

[TimothyC]

NEWS FLASH:

[K. A. Pital]

Red Technocracy Supreme Council Authorizes DBR-1 Test Launches



Today, at the Korolev-Kerimov Test Polygon (KKTP), a total of three DBR-1 Tu-123 Yastreb (Hawk) long-range recon drones have been launched as part of the airforce stockpile testing program.

The trajectory of flight went in the general direction of UKB; it is unclear at what point the drones' test flight terminated. Traversing at Mach 2,5 (2700km/s), they were tracked by the RT Flight Control Center. Radio signal for plane termination has been transferred by the Red Techocracy Flight Control Center; it seems all three craft crashed deep into the South-Eastern Ocean. It was not reported what data they transmitted, or at what point the transmissions have been cut off. Neither was it reported if Tian Xia staged any intercepts or shot down any of the supersonic craft.

- We are pleased to have the DBR-1 drone procured for the airforce, - reported Anna, who was recently promoted to Air Force Marshall rank. - Many in the Supreme Council have doubted procuring those drones instead of manned jets for the initial jet procurement balance; however, as of now, all doubts have been erased.

The TASS could not confirm whether the People's Defense Commitee has inquired about the possibility of modifying DBR-1 Tu-123 into a Mach 3,4 drone.

[@ those things are not as cool as Huang Di's incredibly wanked cheap LEO spysat launch system; but given he pushed for it and rejected the NSC, we felt we need some sort of counter-action, even if that meant spending some of our initial air force procurement]

[MKSheppard]

Shepnukistan DoD Release #3

Orders have been placed with Bakewell Aerospace for in excess of 100,000 weapons cannisters of various unspecified types. Deliveries are expected to be complete by next year.

Filling of the explosive content will be done at the LeMay Ammunition Depot in Columbus.

This order is required to bring up stockpiles of ammunition within the air force to an acceptable level.

[Beowulf]

Forbidden City Times

Lockmart announced today it's first test launch of a Delta IV Medium rocket. It successfully launched a 8,120 kg test load into LEO, which was then deorbited. It was launched from the newly constructed Glenn Launch pad, on the east coast.


[ooc]Huang Di is a title[/ooc]

[MKSheppard]

Shep Defense International Weekly
Do not distribute, this costs $100 on SDIW's website to read


Insigna of the 1st Space Defense Battalion

The first MIM-173 Space Defense Battalion in the Republic of Shepnukistan has come on line equipped with production MIM-173C missiles, a month after it was originally scheduled to, due to the missile complex being diverted at the last minute to the Syndromia of Shroomania as part of a good-will gift.

Despite the months' delay, the men and women of the 1st SDB used the time well via live fire exercises at Arnold Missile Range.

Sources close to SDIW state that the 1st SDB is being deployed in individual batteries in the United Kingdom of Blackadder, the Red Technocracy, and in southern Shepnukistan, to form a cohesive anti-satellite shield. When asked about this, the Battalion's commanding officer refused to comment.

We shall keep you updated as this story develops....

UPDATE: Sources close to SDIW state that the Battalion's forward deployment plans have been cancelled, with the unit to deploy instead as a cohesive unit based at Fort Starry in the south of Shepnukistan.

[phongn]

[K. A. Pital]

The Red Techocracy Supreme Council Issued a Communique:

We are relieved to see nations join the N.S.C. initiative, maintaining peace and security in our fragile world.

The N.S.C. joint MESS-OMSK-FA oversight commitee will ensure that property is not infringed upon.

We respect the rights of nations and their citizens alike.

Due to the recent tensions, the RT Supreme Council proposes each major nation with a space program dedicate $2 billion to the N.S.C. construction for FY 2009.

This will allow the space center to be basically completed by the end of FY 2009. If problems with space launcher availability will arise in the N.S.C., the Red Techocracy vows to provide launchers for such a need and urges other nations to do the same.

The N.S.C. will be an artificial island constructed on shallow sands near Neutrality Point, with equal access for all nations for LEOSAT launches.

These events took a toll on the GenSec and his peace of mind. A heavy toll.

[The Yosemite Bear]

The first physics professors were traveling by train they passed by large numbers of solar collectors. The new faculty building was a few miles from the main powerplant facility. The secondary faculty had been poured, but except for the coolant systems, It was incomplete. The coolant plant, was fully operational.

The class rooms, were nice and cool, despite being in the desert, the future launch ramp was still settling it's heavy reinforced concrete not quite dry. The underground housing for the future super collider was cast, with cooling pipes, and electrical power lines were trunked into the building, however there was still nothing but some computers to hook them up too. There were still smaller labs set up, and a full tool shop. The institute in typical BR fashion had gotten the emenities ready first.

[Zor]

Minerva

Zorian Conquest of Space

Hephestus Proving grounds, New Manitoba Province: His Majesty's Royal Zorian Aerospace Engineering Corperation has Completed the first test flight of the ALOLV-1 (Advanced Low Orbit Launch Vehicle) Conquest. The Conquest is a planned system for low cost deployments of payloads up to 12,000 kilograms to low orbit. The vehicle is a wedge shaped affair that shall be flown up the first fifteen kilometers of it's journey as a parasite on the underside a specially designed carrier aircraft before being released, at which point the aircraft ascends into space using two external drop tanks. This first unmanned mission completed two orbits in Low Orbit before landinging a hundred Kilometers north of Syndromia and being recovered by the Royal Zorian Navy Battlecruiser HMS-New Atlantis. RZAEC Engineers after examining the vehicle are not completly sure on the matter, but as of yet they say that the Conquest should be able for a second flight in a few month's time. His Majesty has awarded the engineering team behind this 2.4 Billion dollar project the Order of Zombie Lenin for this achievement for their nation. Th

Currency Switchover complete, Syndromia is now officially working on the wings of the ZORD

Today, the Syndromian Government, per treaty demands, has officially switched over from the Syndromian Dollar to the Zorian Dollar, with cash conversion plans well under way. In Celibration of this, the Royal Zorian Mint has issued a series of comerative one and two dollar coins.

Ever since the Invasion of Syndromia by allied forces, the Syndromian Dollar has underwent a massive collapse, falling to a price of only $0.03 ZORD in a month. To protect their savings, most Syndromians bought up whatever foreign currencies they could and with the size of the Zorian Occupied Zone, the Zorian Dollar became the De-Facto currency over most of Syndromia. In the homes and in the streets of Syndromia, little has changed. The damn thing went from not worth much to damn worthless overeight, i was using Five dollar bills to line my Hamster Cage one Syndromian said Good Riddence is all i can say.. The official switch over has also boosted the value of the Zorian Dollar by 25% and is expected to rise another 15% by the end of the Year.

[Decue]

"Is it realy wise to do this thing, high lord?" chief advisor Nollan wondered.
"Sure is, it's not like I'm doing anything of use here anyway" said the High Lord.
"But who will rule the country while you are away promoting fish biscuit?"
"I just pick the first competent person I see." the High Lord said, looking down at the busiest square in the capital.

Half an hour goes by.

"Fuck it, just call the Shroomian ambassador and tell him he's in charge until I came back"

[Shroom Man 777]

The FUNGAL AXIS:

Shroomania (me)
Glorious People's Republican Democracy of Blasitification (Losonti Tokash)
Kingdom of Republicburgstatesville (NeoGoomba)
Kingdom of Triolia (Triol)
The Vortex Empire (The Vortex Empire)
Grand Duchy of Vanaheim (Vanas)
The Shadow Empire (Darth Shady)
Rail Republic of Caniba (Redleader34)
Republic of One (Zablorg)
New Gottland (Decue)
Republic of Vulpesia (WesFox13)
Sovereign Duchy of Baerne (Master_Baerne)
Duchy of Langley (Shinn Langley Soryu)
Republicof N’ton (Dave)

The problem is that not all of the FUNGAL AXIS nations have posted in the Reference Thread, so either I'm just gonna assume things, or I'm gonna have to sift fourty pages of the RAR! thread and look them all up.

The Republic of N'ton does have a bustling ship-building industry, so hooray for that!

Um... we can sell boats to the Kingdom of New Patria too, MariusRoi. We'd also like some of your natural gas in return

So, I think we can meet the demands of Canissia by the end of 2009. Plus Shep's demands for FCS too.

[Since PeZookia is heading that International Agency Thing... number crunching...? ]

[Anyway, this is why you want the FUNGAL AXIS on your side. We've got a lot of small nations, but if we mobilize all of them and get them rallied up for a chance to build stuff and be manly and burly and flexing their muscles as they do construction work in exchange for outrageous fees, well... we can get the job done!]

[The Yosemite Bear]

New Kodiak beer, crisp cool, and very fortified, containing all essential neutriants. Also since it will take us another year before the proper aging has gone by for wine production, Vaughn Beverages won't be shipping any until 2009. We also have a popular Sekmet Ale that we will be attempting to ship to the Monarchy of Canis. While the BR does have shipyards in Pirate's Bay (historically drake's landing), Old Red Fort (northern coastal area) as well as two ports near our film production capitols (LA & San Diego). It has come to our attention that BR adult beverages may need more civilian shipping, then we presently supply.

Also for Export: Marley's brand cigs., (yes, We've legalized it, so we might as well see who wants to purchase it from us)

Failing at that, we do have a decent air lift capacity, it's just backwards, and anachronistic (Luxury Zepplins)

[Coyote]

The People's Republic of Canissia will buy some sample crates of all the Bear Republic goods mentioned, with option to establish regular trade of said goods in the future.

[Shroom Man 777]

The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel
FREIGHT FRIGHT


Despite the frantic pace of construction, a burly Shroomanian worker takes time to enjoy the cool breeze on his ripped abs.

The recent findings of the International Sea Commerce Agency have confirmed suspicions that the facilities of the II Republic of PeZookia and the Sovereignty of Shroomania are both not enough to meet the increased demands of Fast Commerce Ships and Automated Commerce Vessels within the expected time frame.

As such, representatives from Shroomanian, Baernish and Republican shipping companies have continued visiting shipyards throughout the FUNGAL AXIS nations, engaging in negotiations and deals planned to include the rest of the FUNGAL AXIS' productive prowess in a bid to meet the demands of the FCS and ACVs. The tri-national group of company representatives have expressed hope that the Republic of N'ton's potent shipbuilding industry would join them and become a powerful ally.

In the meantime, Shroomania and Pezookian yards have quickened the pace of construction. The Shroomanian yards are expected to finish 20 ships by the end of the next fiscal year.



[We need to sort this whole mess out!]

[EDIT: We're NOT downsizing! Argh!]

[Coyote]

1st SQUADRON OF ROYAL CANISSIAN NAVY HYDROFOILS DEPLOYS TO GOTTLAND BASE

Quiet Duty, nice people," says Corvette Captain Anders
PORT SERENITY, GOTTLAND-- After a lightning-quick deal, the Royal Canissian Navy has secured basing rights at a Gottland port, which is referred to as "Port Serenity" by the Canissians. It is the portion of the harbor set aside for Canissian use.

While the actual port facilities themselves have not, in fact, been built yet, the 1st Squadron of the RCN has arrived to establish a prescence. Until facilities are built, they will simply purchase fuel and provision as needed from local suppliers, providing a welcome boost to the local vendors' economy.

Shroomanian ships are also due to arrive soon, for joint operations and building projects in cooperation with the Gottland government. In a reciprocal move, the People's Republic of Canissia has opened its markets to Gottland's burgeoning Fish Biscuits industry. The salty, sea-themed snack food is gaining popularity among the young and is up for consideration as an addition to school lunch menus as a healthy side dish.

An advertisement for the biscuits features various people of different ages and ethnic groups, greedily munching away as an animnated, psychedelic background constantly morphs and changes color to a pulsing techno beat. At one point, the person eating the bisuits looks up at the camer and nods, smiling, and says, "These are some good fuckin' biscuits!" and returns to munching.

Increased cooperation with Gottland and Shroomania is expected in the future.

[Shroom Man 777]

[Since Decue is gonna be busy for a while, I'm kind of handling New Gottland for now, so I'm gonna make the place as fun and as neat and tidy as possible.]



The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel
GOTTLAND GAINS


Shroomanian soldiers escort the shipment of New Gottland's first-ever fighter squadron.

New Gottland's shores are busy today, with the arrival of Mushroom Marines - veterans of the Syndromian conflict - and the delivery of Gottland's first-ever fighter planes, Shroomania-made F-18s.

This arrival coincided with the landing of Canissian naval vessels on Gottish shores, as the soldiers, sailors and airmen of both Shroomania and Canissia meet each other for the first time ever - not as enemies in the battlefield, but as comrades in arms on the scenic Gottish shores.

New Gottland locals welcomed the newly-arrived Mushroom Marines with much hospitality, remembering the explosive support Shroomania gave their country during the pirate-led civil war that occurred just recently. The Gottish hospitality also extended to their Canissian guests as well, and while the Gottlanders provided the fish-biscuits, the Canissians were eager to share the cases and crates and kegs of Bear Republic Beer they brought along.

The Shroomanian presence has the explicit purpose of drilling the Gottish military on anti-insurgency operations, to ensure no repeat of the recent uprising, along with training them on their new aircraft. Gottish pilots fresh from Shroomania's Top Gun academy's student-exchange program are eager to fly their birds over their homeland for the first time.

However, the Mushroom Marines and Mercenary Aces have announced an impromptu change of plans due to the notable Canissian presence on the island. The first training exercises to be undertaken, they declared, was to be a strategic paintball contest between the Mushroom Marines and the Royal Canissian Navy.

[Master_Baerne]

OOC/ Hey guys, what kind of planes should I be making? /OOC

[Shroom Man 777]

[Cheap Ones. F-20s?]

As an ally of the Sovereign Duchy of Baerne, Shroomania would like to offer any material or personnel assistance Baerne might require. We've got a Top Gun institute that trains [homoerotic] ace fighter pilots.


"You think you're dangerous?" "I KNOW I'm dangerous." Two Shroomanian aces - Spruce Goose and Ice Pick - in the steamy locker rooms of the Top Gun institute.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Colin enjoyed a nice slice of cheese, since what ever power had created this world had made the industries whole, with no past, there was a slight problem. Somethings required time to produce. For example, the cheese, it took a minimum amount of time to transform diary into cheese, carefully exposing it to just the right bacteria, and letting it become a solid/plastic. Wine was another problem, it took a minimum of 3 to 10 for the vineyards to be grown enough for regular harvest, and still you needed a year or more to age the stuff in barrels before it was ready to drink.

At least beer had a good quick turn-around time, and the new malt vinegar was made from beer and it went well with the Gottland fish and chips. Colin enjoyed the repast and being quite thankful that who ever had built the place, had for some unknown reason reversed his diabeties.

It was however a good thing, that he had brought the mothersponge, as well as the other tamed bacteria, and live cultures with him. Which reminded him. We could export the excellent sourdough.

[Master_Baerne]

Baernish MinWar + Baernish MinState
File BMW/BMS 1

It is with great pleasure that the Ministers of War and State accept Shroomania's offer for pilot training. Production of F-18s shall begin immediately.

OOC/ F-18s were picked because the F-20 is, according to multiple sources, very old and very unmodifiable, both of which are rather prohibitive downsides. /OOC