The Space Age & the Last Frontier

[NCR]

At 12:00 exactly, a roaring thunder quakes the Galapagos archipelago. A long, slender shape starts flying into the atmosphere, hurling tons of metal and fuel towards the heavens.
The people at SANC (Space Agency of New California) erupt into a roaring cheer, celebrating this historical moment: the "Heavy Bear" first lauch was successful.

As to how the Heavy Bear came to be...

SOME YEARS AGO

The engineers at SANC are in the midst of a heated debate. The performances requested from the Ministry of Research and Technology are surely ambitious, and difficult to satisfy.
Thus, two factions emerge.
The first one advocates for the use of RP1 as fuel: it's cheap, easy to work with, stable, and dense.
The second one advocates for the use of LH2 as fuel: it's harder to work with, and requires more mass for containing... But it also promises the better performances by far, especially in terms of ISP which could have gains in the order of 50%.
On what sounds like a simple choice, hangs the future of the whole rocket. Everything will be influenced by this crucial decision.
After hours an hours of debate, late in the night, a consensus emerges:
The Heavy Bear rocket will use LH2.

In the meanwhile, other engineers works on the first payload that, after the tests ones, will be put into orbit.
It will consist of 2 kinds of satellites to be designed, both meant to be part of one constellation each, both made of 34 satellites each.
The first constellation primary purpose will be as to act as a new-generation GNSS system, both for civilian and military applications. It will be called MAGIC.
The second constellation will be put in LEO, and will act as a TC, monitoring, and net-accessibility purposes constellation (once again, both for civilian and military applications). It will be called CaliSTARS.
Both constellations have 10 sats for redundance.

[NCR]

The work at SANC continues.
The main system being designed right now is the main stage propulsion system.
At the same time, the launcher itself is tanking form and, indeed, SANC has the opportunity of designing 2 rockets at the price of one:
The idea consists in designing another rocket made almost only by the (slightly modified) first stage of the Heavy Bear, called Little Bear; this not only will allow to send lighter payloads into orbit without having to pay for a whole Heavy Bear launch, but will also make the HB modular: As such, one HB will consists of a longer central LB, with the upper stages and payload on top, and two other LB "strapped" on the sides.
Lastly, both the rockets are designed with the possibility of reusability in mind, although the reusability itself will be properly developed only after having a functioning rocket, the designing of which holds priority.



The design of the new satellites also advances.
The main working systems are now completed, and work is being done to design the appropriate subsystems.

[NCR]

The HB design process advances, in particular regarding the general superior stages features, starting once again from the propulsion system; of course this time it will be optimized for vacuum. The general layout of the rocket is also established.

The sats continue being developed.
Some of the choosen subsystems start the testing phase.

[NCR]

SANC engineers are cheering at their monitors:
The first engines prototypes have been successfully tested today in a static-fire test.
Meanwhile, the design process of the rocket(s) continues, right now focusing mostly on LOX/LH2 tanks and the needed structural elements.
For both, an in-depth material analysis is needed.


For the satellites, particular attention is given to the TC system; after all, both constellation won't be able to do anything useful without a proper, powerful TC system.
As such, a working link budget is also established.
In addition, for some secondary subsystems COTS components are evaluated due to performance reasons; as such, the space-proofing and testing of those components is started.

[NCR]

The power generation system for the rocket(s) starts being developed. Having such a big vehicle, SANC can afford to fit both primary and secondary batteries, alternators connected to the engines' turbines, and solar arrays; compatibility with future expansions and/or added generators is thought for, since it may be needed for longer future missions.

The on-board power generation is also the main concern for the sats, having finished the previous work.
Large solar arrays are mounted along with batteries, and the power regulation subsystem...

[NCR]

The rockets themselves, too, need a TC system, which becomes the focus after finishing the previous work.
Also telemetry, avionics and other important sensors are implemented in the design.


The satellites are fitted with their propulsion system, needed to avoid de-orbiting and other unwanted orbital perturbations (and, of course, to perform any needed manouvers).
Both the sats are fitted with a type of EP, an Hall Thruster, which was designed in the previous years by SANC engineers: luckly, after extensive testing, it will now have the opportunity to be finally used in space.
Thus, an appropriet propellant tank is fitted in both satellites.

[NCR]

Work starts on the ADCS, for both the rockets and the satellites.
For the rockets, maneuverability and authority is increased by the use of orientable fins for the atmospheric flight portion, and the gimbal of the engine for when maneuvers are being done.
For the spaceflight part, very large reaction wheels will allow to orient the craft when the engines aren't turned on.

The sats are instead fitted with reaction wheels and magnetorquers, and the needed sensors are implemented.


Work has also started on the spaceports that will support SANC.
The first one is in the Galápagos, for optimal equatorial launches; the second one in the mid-southern part of California; the third in northern California.
After preparing the terrain, the work mainly focuses on the construction of the needed buildings, fitting them with the needed utilities and equipment.
Beside the launch sites, other elements of the ground segment are being built in various spots in the country.

[NCR]

Finally, the designs of both the rocket(s) and the satellites are finished.
For both, prototypes are assembled, and tests are planned.
In particular, SANC schedules a complete static-fire test for the LB and HB.
Also, since the rockets could transport either cargo or a paylod+human crew depending on the paylod section, the crew module starts extensive testing needed to assure the safety for humans, since the safety standards are of course higher than those for cargo. Both versions will need to be tested.


The work to build the spaceports continues.
The focus, after finishing the proper buildings, becomes constructing the launch pads themselves.

[NCR]

As dawn rises, excitement is palpable in SANC.
3...
2...
1...
FIRE!
The multiple rockets fires together. Minutes passes, and... Success.
The first static-fire test is a full success. Joy erupts, people start cheering and some hugs each others.
But, of course this is but the start; other static-fire tests will be made, before the first test-hops, and finally the maiden flight.


The satellites, too, perform optimally in their tests, and now only await the rockets to be put in orbit.


Meanwhile the spaceports are almost done.
Each complex is equipped with refuelers, tanks, and lines.
The safety & emergency systems will also need to be installed.

[NCR]

Having completed the spaceports, SANC can now finally hop-test the rockets.
An almost simultaneous hop is planned for all rockets using all the spaceports.

The test highlights the functioning of the rockets, which are then fine-tuned and prepared for the next test, the last one before the maiden, proper (test) flight: a suborbital flight test.

[NCR]

Anxiety is pervasive among various engineers of SANC. Holding their breath they await, looking at their monitors...
Until three shapes start flying through the atmosphere, drawing beautiful fiery arches in the sky.
The control rooms erupt into a chaos of cheering, while the rockets fly flawlessly through the heavens, each bringing with them a symbolic payload of Californian earth.
The suborbital flights will end in a splashdown, and SANC will collect as much data as possible, both form the on-board sensors during the flight and from the black boxes and splashed-down remnants of the rockets.
After a careful study of those data, a date for the maiden test flight is set.
Also, 5 HB and 1 LB are ordered for the proper flights.

[NCR]

PRESENT DAY

...a roaring thunder quakes the Galapagos archipelago. A long, slender shape starts flying into the atmosphere, hurling tons of metal and fuel towards the heavens.
The people at SANC (Space Agency of New California) erupt into a roaring cheer, celebrating this historical moment: the "Heavy Bear" first lauch was successful.
The HB circularizes its first LEO orbit, deploying the first test satellite.
After a series of hohmann transfers, the HB circularizes various orbits at different altitudes, deploying one test sat per each, and then ending its mission with a controlled Earth-reentry.

Shortly thereafter, a second rocket is launched; the LB too, flies through the atmosphere, with the engineers down on Earth cheering it.
Like its bigger brother, it too manages to circularize its first orbit in LEO and, after a series of hohmann transfers, the LB circularizes various orbits at different altitudes, deploying one test sat per each. It then de-orbits itself, finally returning home.

All the data collected during the days of flight in space, from the black boxes, and from the test sats is carefully studied before confirming the next step:
the deployment of CaliSTARS and MAGIC. As such, the construction of the ordered rockets continues following the established and tested designs.

[NCR]

The deployment of a constellation is a tricky affair; let alone two.

The first one launched is MAGIC. 3 HB launches are made, each carrying one third of the MAGIC satellites.
Once MEO is reached, the deployment process for the MAGIC satellites starts. Of course, a good portion of satellites will have to make significant orbital maneuvers with their on-board propulsion to adjust their orbits into the desired ones; but the HB deploys the sats so to minimize this need, as much as possible.

After deploying all the sats, all the HB will wait in a parked orbit for future testing of the reusability features.


After this public, great success, a press conference is held to announce to the world the commercial avaiability to purchase launches, especially with the cheap and flexible LB; but if, for some reason, the huge payload of the HB should be needed, it is noted that launches with the HB will be, of course, avaiable for purchase too.
Also, a service to design custom-needs commercial sats (within standardized parameters) will be avaiable for purchase if a launch (or part of its payload) is bought, to quicken up the kickstart of the launchers service and to make it more affordable (and thus palatable) for more customers.
Various NCR companies, especially in the tech, TC, and similar sectors, already rush to buy the first avaiable spots after the announcement.
As such, plans are made to expand the manufacturing, so to be able to manage more orders quicker.


Simultaneously, SANC works to implement the reusability features, to cut down costs.
The necessary hardware was already implemented during design, and as such only the complex software needed for it is needed.
The approach to design it will be triple: building the base of the software; simulations; physical trials with the re-entering stages after the missions are completed.
This way, hopes are to be both efficient and fast in developing proper reusability.



SPECS=
Little Bear: Payload (max)=25'000 kg to LEO; | Cost per launch=120 millions NC$ (ridesharing allows to pay only a fraction proportional with the bought payload mass);
Heavy Bear: Payload (max)=100'000 kg to LEO; | Cost per launch=250 millions NC$ (ridesharing allows to pay only a fraction proportional with the bought payload mass);

[Notice that the listed cost is NOT the cost to build and launch the rocket (which is, of course, significantly lower): the listed cost refers to the price to buy a launch.]

[NCR]

Three rockets are launched, 2 HB and 1 LB.
The first HB is launched carrying CaliSTARS; as it passes through the last atmospheric vestiges, more and more stars become visible.
Various maneuvers are carried in LEO to deploy the CaliSTARS satellites. Of course, a good portion of satellites will have to make significant orbital maneuvers with their on-board propulsion to adjust their orbits into the desired ones; but the HB deploys the sats so to minimize this need, as much as possible.

The second HB launched carries the redundant satellites for MAGIC, while the LB launch carries the redundant satellites for CaliSTARS.
Their deployment will proceed in a fashion similar to that of their parent constellations.

After deploying all the sats, all the rockets will wait in a parked orbit for future testing of the reusability features.

The first commercial launches also depart from the spaceports carrying many, many satellites.
SANC too puts new sats into orbit, with purely scientific payloads, at various altitudes orbiting around the Earth.

SANC is now developing GUMS, a new constellation intended for GEO civilian and military purposes, and 3 new scientific satellites:
the first one intended to orbit and study the moon; the second one will be a powerful telescope in Lagrange Point 2; the third one will have a close sun orbit, to study it and the solar system as a whole.

Simultaneously, SANC continues working towards implementing reusability.
Aided by simulations, a new software to manage the re-entry and landing is implemented; while thanks to it the rockets now manage to arrive close to the specially-built re-entry pads, they still crash down without managing to land.
Those trials are made without wasting money since, after a LB or HB carries its payload into the right orbit, the rocket's mission is finished; thus instead of a simple destructive re-entry a reusable landing attempt made.
As such, each launch brings SANC closer to implement viable solutions to the reusability problem.

Lastly, MAGIC is now fully deployed, and reaches full operability.




[EDIT: while MAGIC is self explanatory, think of CaliSTARS as a kind of Starlink with less but bigger satellites, and extra features specific for TC and some on-demand monitoring, mainly in the visible spectrum.]

[NCR]

The work on the new satellites' designs proceeds.
The GUMS constellation will have mainly TC and monitoring purposes on multiple wavelenghts (the monitoring capabilities are comparable to early-warning GEO sats, like SBIRS, plus some more wavelenghts of feed (especially in the visible spectrum for eventual civilian use) and some military TC capabilities; data avaiable for civilian use will be of course restricted).
The lunar satellite will focus on observing the moon for scientific and data purpouses. It will have a near-polar orbit to scan more terrain. [Closest IRL]
The telescope will too have scientific and data purpouses. [IRL Reference]
After the main payload systems are completed, work starts being done to design the appropriate subsystems.


The reusability project also advances.
Finally, the re-entering stages manage to land on the designated pads without crashing down...
Only to land in an unstable way, and fall shortly thereafter.
With frustration, the engineers work to solve this problem.


More commercial launches are planned.


Lastly, CaliSTARS is now fully deployed, and reaches full operability.