Explorer's Anchorage is an Ocellus Starport located in the Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 system, near Sagittarius A*. It was constructed by the Distant Worlds II expedition and began operation on February 21, 3305. It is the most distant station from Sol, as well as the closest station to both Sagittarius A* and Beagle Point.
History[]
Planning and Preparation[]
Sagittarius A* at the heart of the Milky Way is the only supermassive black hole the human race has access to. Situated approximately 23,000 light years away, these days it is well within commute range of the scientific community. Close up scientific study of the supermassive black hole is an opportunity that humanity would embrace.
The construction of an orbiting science installation close to the event horizon of Sag-A* would be an endeavor we feel humanity would have undertaken once it became feasible to travel to the galactic core in relatively short time frames, and coupled with the manpower that the DW2 Expedition can muster, we feel it is now logistically viable to begin construction of a science outpost at this unique location.— Erimus Kamzel, DW2 Project Leader[1]
On January 14, 3304, about four months after the Distant Worlds II expedition had been announced and entered the early stages of planning, the first tentative ideas for a science installation to be built at the galactic core were proposed.[1] The creation of this installation was eventually incorporated into the main goals of the expedition.[2]
After Distant Worlds II launched from Pallaeni on January 13, 3305, it set course for its first official waypoint in the Omega Sector VE-Q b5-15 system, which also featured the Omega Mining Operation Asteroid Base. A Community Goal held at Omega Mining Operation began on January 17, and requested deliveries of certain minerals and metals to be used in the construction of a Starport that would be stationed near Sagittarius A* and dedicated to studying the supermassive black hole.[3] On January 24, the Community Goal concluded successfully, having collected 3,000,000 tonnes of material that had been mined by 5,198 independent pilots, and Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 was announced as the future site of the Starport.[4]
Construction[]
On February 21, 3305, the new Starport's completed docking hub arrived at its final destination in the orbit of Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 CD 4, an Earth-like World, and its name was unveiled: Explorer's Anchorage. This marked the completion of the first of five stages of the Starport's construction, which would be conducted over the course of five weeks in February and March of 3305.[5]
When it was first deployed, Explorer's Anchorage was equipped with only the most basic services. Distant Worlds II organizers planned to hold a Community Goal to mine additional resources from local systems in order to expand the station's available services so that it could become a convenient hub for explorers. However, additional services were brought online ahead of schedule, and the organizers decided to redirect the CG's resources into the construction of a Megaship and an Installation in Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 to better facilitate the study of Sagittarius A*. The CG opened ran from March 7 to March 14, with 2,812 pilots contributing a total of 2,367,428 tonnes of material.[6][7][8]
| Stage | Date | Details | Services Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 21, 3305 | Mobile docking hub launched from Omega Sector VE-Q b5-15, arrives at destination site in Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 | Commodities, Mission Board, Outfitting, Passenger Lounge, Refuel, Blackmarket |
| 2 | February 28, 3305 | Thruster assembly removed, beginning of superstructure construction (partial solar panels, habitat ring support struts) | Contacts, Repair, Restock, Universal Cartographics |
| 3 | March 7, 3305 | Construction of superstructure continues (beginning of habitat ring) | |
| 4 | March 14, 3305 | Construction of superstructure continues (more solar panels, majority of habitat ring) | Crew Lounge |
| 5 | March 21, 3305 | Construction of superstructure concludes, reactor module added, station is complete |
The completion of Explorer's Anchorage was hailed in a GalNet report on March 21, 3305:
The first starport constructed in the Galactic Centre region has officially opened its doors.Explorer’s Anchorage, an Orbis starport, has been built in the Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 system as part of the Distant Worlds II expedition.
Councillor Magnolia Gill, the starport administrator, announced its operational status:
“For the last four weeks we have watched our new home take shape, using materials delivered by many hard-working pilots. Now it spins in the galaxy’s heart, a monument to humanity’s ingenuity.”
“As well as serving as a safe haven for future explorers, Explorer’s Anchorage is a scientific research installation. We hope to learn more about the supermassive black hole at Sagittarius A* and other astronomical phenomena in the Galactic Centre.”
The Distant Worlds II exploration fleet is continuing its journey across the galaxy towards Beagle Point.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Frontier Forums: Some ideas on getting the most out of the upcoming content
- ↑ GalNet: Countdown to Second Distant Worlds Expedition
- ↑ GalNet: Distant Worlds Initiative
- ↑ GalNet: Success for Distant Worlds Initiative
- ↑ Frontier Forums: Anyone got an Alt to scan the new station in Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 ?, post #57
- ↑ GalNet: Distant Worlds Mining Campaign
- ↑ GalNet: Distant Worlds Campaign Concludes
- ↑ Frontier Forums: Distant Worlds 2 - A Journey of Discovery, post #1854
- ↑ GalNet: Distant Worlds Starport Operational