Race to the Stars (Map Game)

In the early 21st century, humanity began the rise of a new space age. While government spending on space exploration was slashed, private corporations began to fill the gap. 2011 marked the end of the Shuttle Age, and thus began a race into space. This second Space Race composed of government space programs, and private corporations, all with the emphasis on space exploration, and to reach the ultimate goal: interstellar travel. You are a manager of a space program or private space corporation, and it is your job to create a new age of space exploration. Develop massive space infrastructure, explore the strange worlds of our Solar System, and settle them. Wage corporate espionage, corporate warfare or lobby in your nation’s government to secure your position, and achieve the ultimate goal of interstellar travel.

Rules

 * 1) Be Plausible
 * 2) Treat others as you wish to be treated.
 * 3) The word of the moderators is law unless proven otherwise.
 * 4) Players can be affected by Earth-based events, as each turn will have news updates to Earth events, and news about events occurring in the race, and these will be displayed at the end of each turn.
 * 5) Turns last about a half year.
 * 6) Technological advances must be plausible.
 * 7) Government agencies can be affected by the actions of the nation’s government, and this will influence how these government owned space programs operate in the game. An example would be budget cuts, which means that missions can be delayed or even scrapped to reduce costs, or accidents can occur on your launches, prompting you to repair damages or place new designs back on the drawing board.
 * 8) Corporations cannot establish outposts or colonies outside Earth without government assistance, hence to do so, you may need to either a) swear allegiance to a government in order to construct your colony or b) establish a contract with a government to help you establish a colony and obtain the money to do so.
 * 9) Private corporations can use whatever tactics needed to deal with competitors, but military use will not be available until later in the 21st century.
 * 10) Use your funding and scientific discoveries wisely, for they may lead to new paths and technologies, and also more missions and profit for your program or corporation.
 * 11) Resources can be mined for longer duration missions into the Solar System, and worlds once technology develops properly, can be colonized.
 * 12) Be sure to invest on your programs wisely, as you have a variety of options to choose from. However, only a few make it out of the drawing board, so pick wisely.
 * 13) The game ends once an interstellar colony has been established by any one space agency, corporation or group of agencies and corporations.
 * 14) Have Fun!

Government Space Agencies
08:52, May 16, 2015 (UTC)
 * NASA (US) -
 * ESA (EU) - Dreamcaster1 (talk) 21:13, May 15, 2015 (UTC)
 * JAXA (Japan) - Vatonica
 * CNSA (China) - Graham Industries. Creating the future, today. (talk) 21:16, May 15, 2015 (UTC)
 * Roscosmos/RKA (Russia) - Scarlet Outlaw
 * ISRO (India) - I'm Always at the top of my game! | I get the Vertigo!
 * NASRDA (Nigeria) -
 * AEB (Brazil) -
 * KARI (South Korea) -
 * CSIRO (Australia) -
 * ISA (Israel) -
 * IAIO (Iran) - Shikata ga nai! 21:19, May 16, 2015 (UTC)
 * SANSA (South Africa) -
 * GSSTC (Ghana) -
 * CSA (Canada) - Prinsenvlag.svg Hail Sean, Khan of Khans! (Free potatoes)
 * SUPARCO (Pakistan) -
 * NADA (North Korea) -
 * KazKosmos (Kazakhstan) -Fallacyman (talk)
 * LAPAN (Indonesia) -
 * KACST-SRI (Saudi Arabia) -

Private Corporations

 * Armadillo Aerospace -
 * Bigelow Aerospace Inc. -
 * Blue Origin LCC -
 * Copenhagen Suborbitals -
 * Deep Space Industries - Daxus Inferno
 * Frontier Astronautics LCC -
 * Intelsat -
 * Masten Space -
 * Orbital Technologies -
 * Planetary Resources - Agent Fires
 * Rocketplane Ltd. -
 * Sierra Nevada Corp. Space Systems -
 * Space Information Labs -
 * Shackelton Energy Company -
 * Moon Express -
 * CU Aerospace -
 * The Spaceship Company -
 * Virgin Galactic LCC -
 * Scaled Composites LCC -
 * SpaceX - QC
 * Ventions LCC -
 * XCOR Aerospace -
 * Eutelsat-

Moderators
Creator: Graham Industries. Creating the future, today. (talk) 21:08, May 15, 2015 (UTC)

Head Moderator:

Moderator: Agent Fires

Moderator:

Moderator:

Narrator: Graham Industries. Creating the future, today. (talk) 21:08, May 15, 2015 (UTC)

2015.0
'''8 players minimum reached. Initiating countdown sequence.....10, 9, 8, 7, 6, Ignition Sequence Start, 4, 3, 2, 1.......And we have liftoff!'''

Space News:   Earth News:  CNSA(China): We begin to invest research into upgrading the Long March rocket family and lobbying in the Politburo for increased spending on space exploration in order to increase patriotism in the nation. Several satellite launches are planned, and we begin to prepare the next rockets of the Long March family: the Long March 5 and the Long March 6, for launch. Meanwhile, further plans are meant to establish several additional Shenzhou launches, as work continues on the Shenzhou 11 mission, and the Tiangong-2 module of our space station. We begin research on key components needed to make exploration of the Solar System a possibility, such as the capacity to land a man on the Moon and establish a permanent outpost there by 2024, as well as a possible mission to Mars by the 2040-2060 time span. Meanwhile, we begin to strike some propositions with other programs, such as Roscosmos or AEB, and thus (with the approval of the Politburo), we propose to cooperate with them for space exploration, allowing the AEB to use our Long March rocket family, and allowing for us to assist them in the construction of any additional launch centers, and providing research for space technologies in exchange. Construction continues on the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Wenchang Island, in the province of Hainan, and an additional launch center is planned to be constructed in the Jilin Province, where future launches can also occur.
 * Kepler reaches the 1000th exoplanet mark, discovering in the process some of the most habitable exoplanets to date, including Kepler 438 b. 
 * The MESSENGER Probe crashes into Mercury. 
 * The Dawn probe enters orbit around Ceres.
 * The Eurasian Union is born on January 1, 2015.
 * The Yemeni Civil War begins. 
 * The War on Terror, also known as the Jihadist War continues to rage as ISIL demolishes ancient ruins and architecture and Boko Haram joins the war. 
 * Russia and Ukraine sign the Minsk II Accords, along with Germany and France. 
 * 2 major Earthquakes hit Nepal, one measuring over 7.8 on the Richter Scale and the other being 7.3. 
 * Roscomos (MOD): (1-6 decline, 7-10 accepts) 8. Accepted. 
 * AEB (MOD): 6. Declined. 

ESA (Europe): A heavy version of the Ariane 5 rocket is approved which is hoped will allow for more far reaching space missions without having to relay on NASA for launches. Along with this the ESA committee outlines a Luna exploration plan starting with  Luna flybys in 2018, soft landers with rovers in 2020 and eventually a manned landing in 2025. Other missions approved are a drilling probe to Europa which will seek life below its ice and a Titan probe which will study the possibilities of methane based biochemistry on the moon. We offer a collaboration with Canada and Australia to help with their projects in return for support and resources to aid our missions.  Work is continued for our Mercury flyby with the launch scheduled for 2016. Our spaceport at French Guiana is expanded. KARI (South Korea): We offer a team of six astronauts to JAXA and ISRO (three astronauts each)
 * Australia (MOD): 3. Declined. 
 * CSA: If that means sending shit into space then, yeah.

India(ISRO):  The Indian Space Research Organisation begins plans on missions to colonize the moon and begins seeking permission from the Indian Department of Space. India also plans Operation Geodude, a plan to begin mining asteroids. India asks Japan for improved work between Space Agencies to get ahead of the Chinese. Meanwhile, Astrosat is launched to be a general purpose observatory.
 * Deep Space Industries proposes a contract in which the company will provide the needed resources for mining the asteroid.
 * India (Isro) accepts the contract for asteroid mining.

Roscosmos/RKA (Russia): We plan to send up a few satellites into Earth's orbit. Our space program starts to make two probes to send into space. One probe will land on Mars. The second probe will leave the Milky Way galaxy. Our military starts to make long range nukes that can go into space. Space shuttles are being built so that an expedition to the asteroid field for astronauts can happen. We plan to make a colony on the moon some day. Planning for a moon colony starts this year. We sign the Minsk II Accords. Deep Space Industries: Intensive investment is put into buying modes of production on Earth and hiring the finest German physicists an aerospace company can buy. The company immediately begins looking into making launching objects into orbit cheaper, as a result much thought is put into hydrogen-plasma fuels and magnetic mass drivers, as well as re-entry into the atmosphere, and schematics are made for possible ships. To make money in the short-run the company begins producing engines and fuel for space planes and airplanes. Plans are already made for the eventual headquarters that will be in orbit. SpaceX: SpaceX prepares for the Dragon V2, that will have a manned flight in 2016. The SpaceX CRS-7 is set to travel to the ISS to deliver cargo on the 15th June.
 * Sending nukes into space is against so many international laws that I would recommend a moderator cross that out.
 * Already on it. Also, your program is not signing the Minsk II Accords but your government. Oh, and to inform you, no leaving the Milky Way, or rebuilding the shuttles, seeing as the Buran program had backfired and shuttles only have LEO range. 
 * Errr.....the shuttles are already out of date. That is what space planes are for. 

Kazkosmos: KazKosmos begin lobbying the Kazakhstan government and also proposes a joint space program to the Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.

RNG for their agreement (1-6 Decline. 7-10 Accept.)

'''Uzbekistan: 6. Declined. '''

'''Tajikistan: 1. Declined. '''

'''Kyrgyzstan: 5. Declined. '''

'''Turkmenistan: 1. Declined. '''

CSA: Let's send shit into space! We begin production of a better spacecraft. We call it Project Moose.

NASA (US): We continue research into the SLS and begin to lobby in Congress for increased funding. As a result, work continues on preparing other programs, such as the Orion MPCV, which is becoming a bigger priority, as the program shifts from telescopes to further space exploration. The shift from telescopes to actual exploration vehicles leads to the delay of the James Webb Space Telescope for a 2019 launch, and the program continues sign more contracts with other private corporations to allow for a reduction in spaceflight costs. Planning continues for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), which is scheduled for a 2017 launch. In June, NASA begins work on a new set of nuclear thermal engines, and VASIMIR-type engines. The nuclear engines are based on historical research from the NERVA program and the Project Rover program as well. These programs are later seen as the basis for the new nuclear thermal program, as this begins to be applied to the Upper Stage of the SLS. Meanwhile, MESSENGER is sent into a collision course with Mercury, officially ending the mission. Data continues to be retrieved from the Curiosity Rover and the Cassini Space Probe, as they continue their exploration of their respective destinations: Mars and Saturn. The ISS continues maintenance as we send further supply missions to the station.

Planetary Resources: the company continues to work on the arkyd-100 telescope, due to launch in late 2015. It is estimated the arkyd-1000 will orbit the earth for 7-10 years. Meanwhile, several new projects are started within our company. The first, dubbed the Thor program, will attempt to develop a reusable capsule, as well as rockets to use it with. This project is planned to be finished around 2017, when we hope to be able to test launch a prototype. The second, dubbed the Odin project, looks to develop an economically efficient way to mine asteroids. This project is only in the planning stages as of yet, but still looks promising.

2015.5
Space News:  Earth News:  CNSA (China):  Investment continues on the Long March rocket family, and lobbying continues on the Politburo. Meanwhile, the official test flights for the Long March 5 and 6 begin, as the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center is completed. The Shenzhou 11 mission is scheduled to launch early next year, along with the Tiangong-2 module for our space station, which is scheduled to launch a week earlier. Around this time, the crew of the Shenzhou 11 is selected to be: Li Paoching, Xi Loiheng, and Weng Lazhin. The program begins progress on the Chang'e 4 mission and we begin to prepare for a launch around early 2016. Planning continues on the Jilin Satellite Launch Center, as it is expected to begin construction around 2019. Research continues into components required for future missions of the program.
 * The New Horizons probe makes its first flyby of Pluto. 
 * Roscosmos and the CNSA begin their joint cooperation programs, as agreed earlier in the year. 
 * The LISA Pathfinder probe launches from French Guinea. 
 * Heavy fighting continues against ISIL.
 * Another round of fighting begins in Eastern Ukraine as the Minsk II accords quickly break down, and heavy fighting begins in the region. 
 * Iran signs a nuclear agreement with the US, much to Saudi Arabia's dismay. 
 * The US and South Korea dissolve the Combined Forces Command. 

Roscosmos/RKA (Russia): We plan to send up a few satellites into Earth's orbit. Our space program continues to make two probes to send into space. One probe will land on Mars. The other will land in the asteroid belt. We plan to make a colony on the moon some day. Planning for a moon colony continues. We start to build space planes like the Klipers that were made in 2005. We ask China for an alliance. Our military sends a border control team to the Ukraine-Russian border so that the fighting can't get into our nation.

Kazkosmos: KazKosmos continues lobbying the Kazakhstan government and gains permission to build a space rocket. We ask for cooperation with the CNSA and we propose a joint space program to the Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan again. IASA: The Iranian Space Agency receives the funding redirected from the cancelled nuclear program, enabling it to launch a series of satellites. Unbeknownst to any other country, several of these satellites are part of an experimental "nuclear deterrent replacement", wherein satellites can reenter the atmosphere and land on foreign countries' cities, causing massive destruction. Iran offers space-program cooperation to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. ESA (Europe): Work continues on the heavy version of the Ariane 5 rocket. Along with this the ESA committee outlines a Luna exploration plan starting with  Luna flybys in 2018, soft landers with rovers in 2020 and eventually a manned landing in 2025. Other missions approved are a drilling probe to Europa which will seek life below its ice (scheduled for 2018) and a Titan probe which will study the possibilities of methane based biochemistry on the moon (scheduled for 2019). We collaborate with Canada on new projects.  Work is continued for our Mercury flyby with the launch scheduled for 2016. Our spaceport at French Guiana is expanded. To test our launch and crew modules we arrange a manned earth orbit launch for 2016.5.
 * Scarlet. Again, you do not control the nation. You control the space program. 
 * CNSA: The program hereby accepts collaboration, seeing as they are already in cooperation with our partner, Roscosmos.
 * Turkmenistan: 10. Accept.
 * Uzbekistan: 3. Decline.
 * Tajikistan: 6. Decline. 
 * Kyrgyztan: 9. Accept. 
 * Uzbekistan: 8. Accepts.
 * Tajikistan: 8. Accepts. 

SpaceX: The SpaceX CRS-7 is a success, successfully delivering cargo to the ISS. The Dragon V2 is set to have a manned flight in 2016. Stocks rise. A few Falcon 9's are launched in Cape Canaveral, Vandenburg. The Falcon Heavy launches. We ask for investments. Planetary Resources: the arkyd-1000 is sent into space, with the telescope lens pointing to earth. The resolution of the telescope is 1 Pixar per sqare yard, and we intend to sell the data to farmers, researchers, and others who might benefit from such data. The Thor project continues, and the final plans are payed out. The capsule will have room for six, although only 2 are needed to pilot the craft. Located behind the capsule are the storage bay and the fuel, allowing the capsule to Carrie large amounts of supplys into orbit. In addition, capsules on longer missions will be equipped with inflatable habitats, in order to give astronauts more room. An unmanned test of the vehicle, is scheduled for 2016.5, with people being launched in 2017. We begin to work on planning a moonbase, and ask SpaceX if they would like to colaberate in making such a base.We continue is to research economically efficient way to mine asteroids, but a major breakthrough is yet to made.
 * Planetary Resources states that we would be interested in a cooperative program with SpaceX.
 * SpaceX accepts the cooperation with Planetary Resources.

KARI (South Korea): We begin to develop drones for meteorologic purposes. When production begins, we offer to send JAXA, NASA, and ESA the first 3 models.

NASA (US): We continue research into the SLS and continue to lobby in Congress for increased funding. As a result, work continues on preparing other programs, such as the Orion MPCV, which is becoming a bigger priority, as the program shifts from telescopes to further space exploration. The program continues sign more contracts with other private corporations to allow for a reduction in spaceflight costs. Planning continues for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), which is scheduled for a 2017 launch. NASA work on a new set of nuclear thermal engines, and VASIMIR-type engines. The nuclear engines continue to be applied to the Upper Stage of the SLS. Data continues to be retrieved from the Curiosity Rover and the Cassini Space Probe, as they continue their exploration of their respective destinations: Mars and Saturn. The ISS continues maintenance as we send further supply missions to the station. We continue work for the 2019 James Webb Space Telescope Launch.

2016.0
'''Sorry about the late turn start. Apparently, my Internet last night took longer to load than what I had initially expected. As of tomorrow, turns will be started on schedule. '''

Space News:  Earth News:  CNSA (China): Investment continues on the Long March rocket family, and lobbying continues on the Politburo. Meanwhile, the maiden flight of the Long March 7 begins, as Shenzhou 11 and Tiangong-2 are launched into space. The second component of our long-term space station plan is finally placed. The Chang'e 4 mission is launched to the Moon, but the mission ends in disaster as the probe fails to make orbital insertion and is left drifting in space. However, this does not dash our hopes as the Chang'e 5 mission begins as scheduled, and we begin a plan train astronauts for our future permanent manned outposts on Luna. While this occurs, we begin to focus on prioritizing a joint-mission to Mars with Roscosmos scheduled for 2043. As a result, we hereby ask Roscosmos if they wish to cooperate on the mission (with permission from the Politburo).
 * The Juno space probe, sent in 2011, enters orbit around Jupiter. 
 * Orbital Technologies launches the world's first space hotel, now entering the Race to the Stars (Orbital Technologies becomes a playable private corporation). 
 * The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is launched to Mars. 
 * The Dream Chaser is launched by Sierra Nevada Corp. Space Systems.
 * The BepiColombo probe is launched. 
 * The Saudi government approves another military intervention into Yemen after peace talks between the various factions break down.
 * The largest space telescope in the world: The Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope is completed and is fully operational. 
 * Campaigning for the US presidential elections begins. 

ESA (Europe): Work continues on the heavy version of the Ariane 5 rocket. Along with this the ESA committee outlines a luna exploration plan starting with Luna flybys in 2018, soft landers with rovers in 2020 and eventually a manned landing in 2025. Other missions approved are a drilling probe to Europa which will seek life below its ice (scheduled for 2018) and a Titan probe which will study the possibilities of methane based biochemistry on the moon (scheduled for 2019). We collaborate with Canada on new projects. Work is continued for our Mercury flyby with the launch scheduled for 2016. Our spaceport at French Guiana is expanded. To test our launch and crew modules we arrange a manned earth orbit launch for 2016.5. With increasing interest in space planes we give grants to the skylon project.

Planetary Resources: the arkyd-100 is sent into space, with the telescope lens pointing to earth. The resolution of the telescope is 1 Pixar per square yard, and we intend to sell the data to farmers, researchers, and others who might benefit from such data. The Thor project continues, and the final plans are payed out. The capsule will have room for six, although only two are needed to pilot the craft. Located behind the capsule are the storage bay and the fuel, allowing the capsule to Carrie large amounts of supplies into orbit. In addition, capsules on longer missions will be equipped with inflatable habitats, in order to give astronauts more room. An unmanned test of the vehicle, is scheduled for 2016.5, with people being launched in 2017. We begin to work on planning a moonbase, and ask SpaceX if they would like to collaborate in making such a base.We continue to research economically efficient ways to mine asteroids, but a major breakthrough is yet to made. SpaceX: After a series of testing, Dragon V2 has its first flight with people, the mission is a major success. More engines are tested. Plans for satellites are made. SpaceX's economy rises as more investments are made. Plans on making a moon base by 2035 are made.
 * SpaceX agrees to help with a moon base

NASA (US): We continue research into the SLS and continue to lobby in Congress for increased funding. As a result, work continues on preparing other programs, such as the Orion MPCV, which is becoming a bigger priority, as the program shifts from telescopes to further space exploration. The program continues sign more contracts with other private corporations to allow for a reduction in spaceflight costs. Planning continues for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), which is scheduled for a 2017 launch. NASA work continues on a new set of nuclear thermal engines, and VASIMIR-type engines. The nuclear engines continue to be applied to the Upper Stage of the SLS. Data continues to be retrieved from the Curiosity Rover and the Cassini Space Probe, as they continue their exploration of their respective destinations: Mars and Saturn. With the arrival of the Juno probe to Jupiter, we begin to recover data from the planet that would serve as as useful for scientific research. The ISS continues maintenance as we send further supply missions to the station. We continue work for the 2019 James Webb Space Telescope Launch.

2016.5
Space News:  Earth News:  CNSA (China): Investment continues into the Long March rocket family, and lobbying continues on the Politburo. The Chang'e 5 mission continues as scheduled, and it is getting prepared for a launch by early next year. The Shenzhou 11 and Tiangong 2 missions continue, and as the Shenzhou 11 returns to Earth, we begin to prepare for the Shenzhou 12 mission, and send a Tianzhou cargo module to the Tiangong station. We continue to train our astronauts for a future Lunar outpost by 2024, and continue to ask Roscosmos for a joint mission to Mars by 2043. Meanwhile, one of our scientists proposes to use the American NERVA concept to us, and work begins on a new type of engine, code named: Project: 981, which has gone under the nickname of the "Divine Light". This project is hoped to be used for a future Mars mission scheduled for 2043.
 * The Planetary Resources Arkyd-100 is able to detect several potentially resource-rich NEOs which the company could find useful in its mining operations. 
 * Bigelow Aerospace announces that the BA-330 module is nearly completed. Some seek to this as a possible way to construct a Lunar outpost.
 * The Dream Chaser is launched by Sierra Nevada Corp. Space Systems.
 * The BepiColombo probe is launched. 
 * The 2016 Presidential Elections in the US end with Democratic candidate Hillary Clitnon gaining the electorial college vote, but not the popular vote, when compared to Republican candidate Ted Cruz. 
 * The Syrian Civil War is declared over, as Assad is able to wipe the remaining rebels aside from ISIL clean. 
 * Putin begins another invasion of Ukraine, codenamed: Operation: Lightning Storm. 
 * The US government is authorized to use direct force as part of the Jihadist War, which at this point, ISIL threatens to continue threatening the Middle East, along with Boko Haram in Africa. This becomes Obama's final official action, as the year comes to a close. 

Planatary Resources we test lanch the Thor capsule, and the unmanned version is a huge success, with manned flights planned for early next year. We begin work on two other variants of the Thor capsule, one designed to land on celestial body's careing a signicficant payload, and another designed to mine space rocks. The idea behind mining space rocks would be to inflate a kind of "bowl" for the asteroid to fall in, which would then be sealed. The capsule would then renter earths atmosphere at the slowest speed possible, in order to preserve the integrity of the asteroid. This is called the Thor II capsule, and a test flight is sloted for early 2017. We also begin development on much larger rockets, called the Phoenix One, with we plan to use some day to get to the moon.

SpaceX: Work on the Raptor rocket engine continues, and plans say that it can be finished between 2030 and 2025. We also plan on begin working on the Mars Colonial Transporter in 2018 or 2019, but the MCT will not be operational earlier than the mid-2020s We also begin working on Red Dragon spacecraft, and we ask NASA for some help with it. Plans on modification of the SuperDraco rocket begin. SpaceX also begins planning on future asteroid and moon mining (which will probably begin in the 2030's).

ESA (Europe): Work continues on the heavy version of the Ariane 5 rocket. Along with this the ESA committee outlines a luna exploration plan starting with luna fly bys in 2018, soft Landers with rovers in 2020 and eventually a manned landing in 2025. Other missions approved are a drilling probe to Europa which will seek life below its ice (scheduled for 2018) and a Titan probe which will study the possibilities of methane based biochemistry on the moon (scheduled for 2019). We collaborate with Canada on new projects. Our spaceport at French Guiana is expanded. With increasing interest in space planes we give grants to the skylon project.We launch our Mercury orbiter and our manned earth orbiter (which is a success).

2017.0
Space News: 


 * India becomes the 4th nation to launch a man into space. 
 * The Chandrayaan-2 mission is launched to Luna. 
 * NASA's SLS is scheduled to launch later in the year, and preparations begin for the mission.
 * The Juno probe suffers a problem with the reaction wheels and the probe is de-orbited to burn up in the Jovian atmosphere. 
 * The CHEOPS Space Telescope is launched to study the formation of exoplanets. 

Earth News: 
 * Russian military forces begin to overrun Ukrainian military forces in the Russo-Ukrainian border, as Russian tanks begin rolling into Ukraine from Crimea and the Caucasus. 
 * US military forces begin to push back ISIL, even as Hillary Clinton is inagurated as the 45th POTUS. 
 * Southeast Asia is hit by an epidemic of Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu. 
 * Typhoon Susanne becomes the largest hurricane in history, as the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia are hit hard by the hurricane. 

CNSA (China):  Investment continues into the Long March rocket family, and lobbying continues on the Politburo. The Chang'e 5 mission is officially launched to the Moon and quickly becomes a success, as we bring the first samples from the Moon in years back to Earth. We continue to prepare for the Shenzhou 12 mission, and send another Tianzhou cargo module to the Tiangong station. We continue to train our astronauts for a future Lunar outpost by 2024, and continue to ask Roscosmos for a joint mission to Mars by 2043. Project 981, also known as The Divine Light Program continues work. This project is hoped to be used for a future Mars mission scheduled for 2043. Work begins on the Tiangong 3 station module.

NASA (US): We continue research into the SLS and continue to lobby in Congress for increased funding. As a result, work continues on preparing other programs, such as the Orion MPCV, which is becoming a bigger priority, as the program shifts from telescopes to further space exploration. The program continues sign more contracts with other private corporations to allow for a reduction in spaceflight costs. Planning continues for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), which is scheduled for a 2017 launch. NASA work continues on a new set of nuclear thermal engines, and VASIMIR-type engines. The nuclear engines continue to be applied to the Upper Stage of the SLS. Data continues to be retrieved from the Curiosity Rover, as it continue its exploration of Mars. Meanwhile, Cassini is deorbited and it burns up in the Saturnian atmosphere as it sends its last tranmission. As the last transmissions arrive from the Juno probe, we begin to recover the scientific data that we can as we are unable to repair the reaction wheel. The ISS continues maintenance as we send further supply missions to the station. We continue work for the 2019 James Webb Space Telescope Launch.

SpaceX: Work on the Raptor rocket engine continues, and plans say that it can be finished between 2025 and 2030. The construction on the Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT) begins earlier than scheldued, therefore workon the Raptor rocket engine is speed up, but the MCT will not be operational earlier than the mid-2020's. We also begin working on Red Dragon spacecraft, and we ask NASA for some help with it. Plans on modification of the the SuperDraco rocket begins. SpaceX also begins planning on future asteroid and moon mining (which will probably begin in the late 2020's and early 2030's). In an announcement, SpaceX CEO and CTO Elon Musk says that Near-Earth asteroid minning missions will begin in the end of the mid-2020's, and we hope that Planetary Resources will cooperate and help us in these future missions.

ESA (Europe): Work continues on the heavy version of the Ariane 5 rocket. Along with this the ESA committee outlines a luna exploration plan starting with luna fly bys in 2018, soft Landers with rovers in 2020 and eventually a manned landing in 2025. Other missions approved are a drilling probe to Europa which will seek life below its ice (scheduled for 2018) and a Titan probe which will study the possibilities of methane based biochemistry on the moon (scheduled for 2019). We collaborate with Canada on new projects. Our spaceport at French Guiana is expanded. With increasing interest in space planes we give grants to the skylon project. Learning from our Manned orbiter we are able to design safer, more effective crew modules for future missions.

New turn?

2017.5
I made a new turn because this Map Game should become sucessfull and not abandoned

SpaceX: Work on the Raptor rocket engine continues, and plans say that it can be finished between 2025 and 2030. The construction on the Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT) begins earlier than scheldued, therefore workon the Raptor rocket engine is speed up, but the MCT will not be operational earlier than the mid-2020's. We also begin working on Red Dragon spacecraft, and we ask NASA for some help with it. Plans on modification of the the SuperDraco rocket begins. SpaceX also begins planning on future asteroid and moon mining (which will probably begin in the late 2020's and early 2030's). In an announcement, SpaceX CEO and CTO Elon Musk says that Near-Earth asteroid minning missions will begin in the end of the mid-2020's, and we hope that Planetary Resources will cooperate and help us in these future missions.