Plot Timetable
Columbus 1:
Leave Gateway, 14 Aug. 2020
Opposition, 13 October 2020
Arrive Mars 14 Feb. 2021
Land, 28 Feb. 2021
Conjunction, 10 Nov. 2021
Columbus 1 departs Mars, 8 July 2022
Opposition, 8 Dec. 2022
Columbus 1 reaches Earth, Jan. 8, 2023
Columbus 2:
Cargo leaves Gateway: late August 2022
Leaves Gateway: Oct. 8, 2022
Arrives Mars: April 8, 2023
Lands Mars: April 16, 2023 (after visit to Phobos)
Cargo reaches Mars: June 1 2023
Conjunction: Dec. 27, 2023
Columbus 2 leaves Mars: Aug. 16, 2024
Opposition: 16 Jan. 2025
Columbus 2 reaches Earth, Feb. 16, 2025
Columbus 3:
Cargo leaves Gateway: 1 Oct. 2024
Leaves Gateway: 16 Nov. 2024
Dust storm season ends: 27 November 2024
Opposition: 16 Jan. 2025
Marshall born: February 10, 2025
Arrives Mars: 16 May 2025
Lands Mars: 25 May 2025 (after visits to Phobos and Deimos)
Cargo reaches Mars: 1 July 2025
Conjunction: 2 Feb. 2026
Dust storm season begins: Feb. 18, 2026
Dust storm season ends: July 10, 2026
Columbus 3 leaves Mars: 19 Sept. 2026
Opposition: 19 Feb. 2027
Columbus 3 reaches Earth: 19 March 2027
Columbus 4:
Cargo leaves Gateway: 4 Nov. 2026
Leaves Gateway: 19 Dec. 2026
Opposition: 19 Feb. 2027
Arrives Mars: 19 June 2027
Lands Mars: 26 June 2027 (after visits to Phobos and Deimos)
Cargo reaches Mars: 1 Aug. 2027
Conjunction: 8 Mar. 2028
Columbus 4 leaves Mars: 25 Oct. 2028
Opposition: 25 Mar. 2029
Columbus 4 reaches Earth: 25 Apr. 2029
Columbus 5:
Cargo leaves Gateway: 11 Dec. 2028 (ACV2 delayed to March 1, arrives Mars Aug. 1)
Leaves Gateway: 25 Jan. 2029 (delayed to Feb. 12)
Opposition: 25 Mar. 2029
Northern Summer Solstice: 1 Apr. 2029
Arrives Mars: 25 July 2029 (delayed to 4 August)
Lands Mars: 4 Aug. 2029 (delayed to 14 August)(after visits to Phobos and Deimos)
Cargo reaches Mars: 8 Sept. 2029
Dust Storm Season begins: 27 Nov. 2029
Earth/Venus Inferior Conjunction: 14 Jan. 2030 (15 Nov. 29 Earth to Venus 22 Feb 30)
Conjunction: 15 Apr. 2030
Dust Storm Season Ends: 15 Apr. 2030
Columbus 5 leaves Mars: 4 Dec. 2030
Opposition: 4 May 2031
Columbus 5 reaches Earth: 4 June 2031
Clocks in Houston and Aurorae are synchronized on March 4, 2020, April 10, May 17, June 23, July 30, Sept. 5, Oct. 12, Nov. 18, Dec. 25, Feb. 1, 2021, Mar. 6. . . .
Formula: year-2020 = x, x times 2 plus any date above yields synchronization time.
Cargo
Manifest, Columbus A
Pavonis:
Liquid Hydrogen 10.0 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
Sunwing 1A 0.8 mt
Furniture 1.0 mt
Spares 1.3 mt
TROV-A 0.4 mt
ACL 1 plus 12.5 tonnes cargo:
Truck 1: 3.0 mt
Portable crane 1.5 mt
Power shovel 1.5 mt
Suit Donning Facility 1.8 mt
Dustoff Unit 0.9 mt
4 TROV-Bs 0.8 mt
Connections and Tunnels 1.0 mt
Spares 0.6 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
TROV-A 0.4 mt
ACL 2 plus 12.5 tonnes cargo:
Inflatable Habitat 1 11.5 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
ACL 3 plus 12.5 tonnes cargo:
Greenhouse 1: 4.0 mt
Docking Cabin 1.5 mt
Dustoff Unit 0.9 mt
Chemical Synthesis Unit 3.0 mt
Trailer 0.9 mt
Scientific Equipment 0.4 mt
Spares 0.4 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
TROV-A 0.4 mt
ACV 4:
Fuel-making Plant, Phobos-1 (9 mt)
Docking pad 0.5 mt
Drills (2) 4.6 mt
Volatile Processing Unit 1.0 mt
TROV-A 0.5 mt
Microwave heater and cable 0.2 mt
Solar array (30 kw) 2.2 mt
Fuel-making Plant, Phobos-2 9.0 mt
Lifter1 (pushed ACL 1 and ACL 2; docks to Phobos)
Lifter2 (pushed ACL 3 and ACV 1; docks to Phobos)
Total launches from Earth: 6 @ $170 m each = $1,020 m
Olympus:
Liquid Hydrogen 10.0 mt
Plant and Animal Cabinets 0.5 mt
Scientific and Medical Equipment 0.6 mt
Furniture 0.5 mt
Solar Power Units 2.0 mt
Drill 2.0 mt
Open rover 0.9 mt
Consumables 3.5 mt
Elysium:
Liquid Hydrogen 10.0 mt
Plant and Animal Cabinets 0.5 mt
Scientific and Medical Equipment 0.6 mt
Furniture 0.5 mt
Solar Power Units 2.0 mt
Drill 2.0 mt
Open rover 0.9 mt
Consumables 3.5 mt
ACL 1 plus 12.5 tonnes cargo:
Truck 2: 3.0 mt
Suit Donning Facility 1.8 mt
Dustoff Unit 0.9 mt
Sunwing 2A 0.8 mt
Regolith sifting unit 1.0 mt
Kiln 0.6 mt
Carbonyl Processing 3.0 mt
Spares 0.4 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
ACL 2 plus 12.5 tonnes cargo:
Inflatable Habitat 2 11.5 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
ACL 3 plus 12.5 tonnes cargo:
Greenhouse 3: 4.0 mt
Docking Cabin 1.5 mt
Plastic Synthesis 3.0 mt
2 TROV-Bs 0.4 mt
Scientific Equipment 0.5 mt
2 Inflatable portable shelter 1.0 mt
Water extraction tent 0.2 mt
Spares 0.9 mt
Solar Arrays (12 kw) 1.0 mt
ACV 1:
Fuel-making Plant, Deimos:
Docking pad 0.5 mt
Drills (2) 4.6 mt
Volatile Processing Unit 1.0 mt
TROV-A 0.5 mt
Microwave heater plus cable 0.2 mt
Solar array (30 kw) 2.2 mt
Lifter3 (launches ACL 3 and ACV 1, docks to Phobos; another Lifter launched ACL 1 and 2, but returned to the moon afterward)
Cimmerium and Ausonia fly to Mars with 5 tonnes consumables each for round trip
Total launches from Earth: 11 @ $170 m each = $1.87 b
Hadriaca:
Consumables: 0.5 mt
Greenhouse 3 (stripped): 3 mt
Habitat 3 (stripped) 11 mt
Solar Power Unit 1 mt
Apollinaris
Mars Life Science Facility: 7.6 mt
Plastic and Chemical Making Equipment: 1 mt
Routine Replacements and Spares: 1 mt
Consumables: 4 mt
Solar Power Unit 1 mt
Open Rover: 0.9 mt
Solis:
Plants: 0.5 mt
Consumables 3 mt (for trip out; 2.5 mt water needed from Phobos or Mars for return trip)
Syrtis:
Plants: 0.5 mt
Consumables 3
mt (for trip out; 2.5 mt water needed from Phobos or Mars for return trip)
ACV 1 plus 15.5 tonnes cargo:
Metal Processing Equipment: 2 mt
Greenhouse 4: 3 mt
Dustoff Unit 0.9 mt
Consumables and Spares 2.6 mt
Wind turbine 0.5 mt
Docking Unit 1.5 mt
Tunnels 1 mt
Science Equipment 0.5 mt
Metal Working Equipment: 1.5 mt
Building Parts 2 mt
ACV 2 plus 15.5 tonnes cargo:
Docking Unit 1.5 mt
Tunnels 1 mt
Consumables and Spares: 2.0 mt
Wind turbine 0.5 mt
Glass Making Equipment 1 mt
Construction Equipment 2 mt
Conestoga 1: 4 mt
Sunwing 3A: 1 mt
5 TROV-Bs 1 mt
Science Equipment 1.5 mt
Lifter4 launches ACV 1 and 2, continues to Mars to replace one that has left.
Total launches from Earth: 8 @ $170 m each = $1.36 B
Cargo Manifest,
Columbus 3
Pavonis:
Habitat 4 (stripped): 11 mt
Consumables: 5 mt
Alba:
Greenhouses 5 & 6 (stripped): 6 mt
Routine Replacements and Spares: 3 mt
Consumables: 6 mt
Cimmerium:
Plants: 0.33 mt
Consumables (trip out) 5 mt
Noachis:
Plants: 0.33 mt
Consumables (trip out) 5 mt
Amazonis:
Plants: 0.33 mt
Consumables (trip out) 5 mt
ACV 1:
Conestoga 2: 4.5 mt
5 TROV-Bs: 1 mt
Greenhouse 7: 3 mt
Consumables and Spares: 2.5 mt
Tunnels 2 mt
Solar Panels: 1.5 mt
Reactor: 1 mt
ACV 2:
Truck 3: 3 mt
Sunwing 4A: 1.0 mt
Greenhouse 8 & 9: 6 mt
Consumables: 1.5 mt
Reactor: 1 mt
Docking Units (2) 3 mt
ACV 3:
Truck 4: 3 mt
Industrial Equipment: 4 mt
Scientific Equipment: 4 mt
Consumables and Spares: 4.5 mt
Lifter 5 replaces Lifter 2
5 expendable launches @ $170 each = $850 plus 45 mt @ 1m each ($45 m) = $900
Cargo Manifest, Columbus 4
Olympus and Hadriaca:
Routine Replacements and Spares: 4 mt
Meteorology Equipment: 1 mt
Greenhouses 10-12: 9 mt
Metallurgical and Chemical Equip 7 mt
Consumables: 11 mt
Cimmerium:
Plants: 0.33 mt
Noachis:
Plants: 0.33 mt
Amazonis:
Plants: 0.33 mt
(Note: ITVs can carry more; a third shuttle flew up to deorbit crew and cargo and they can deorbit 12-15 tonnes each plus passengers. Story says 36 tonnes deorbited.)
ACV1:
Conestoga 3: 4 mt
Automated Rovers: 0.5 mt
Greenhouse 13: 3 mt
Consumables and Spares: 3.0 mt
Building Parts 3.5 mt
Reactor: 1 mt
ACV2:
Truck 5: 3 mt
Sunwing 5B: 1.5 mt
Greenhouse 14 & 15: 6 mt
Consumables and Spares: 3.5 mt
Reactor: 1 mt
ACV3:
Mars Dome 15 mt
Lifter 6 replaces Lifter 3
1 expendable launch @ $170 plus 77 mt of cargo (@$1,000/kilogram using the newSwift shuttle) = $247 m!
Cargo Manifest, Columbus 5
Population: 47 adults, 7 children
Two shuttles: 20 tonnes each
Routine Replacements and Consumables: 6 mt
Three Mobilabs 9 mt
Meteorology Equipment: 1 mt
Phobos Hab 4 mt
Deimos Hab: 4 mt
Biome 1: 11 mt
Science Equipment 2 mt
Tunnels 2 mt
Inflatable shelters (2) 1 mt
3 Ihabs: 5 tonnes consumables for the outbound trip each, 6 people each
Consumables for Mars 12mt (4 mt each)
ACVs: 20 tonnes each
ACV1:
Truck 5: 3 mt
TROV-Bs: 1.6 mt
Consumables and Spares: 5.4 mt
Metallurgical Equipment 8 mt
Medical Supplies and Equipment 2 mt
ACV2:
Building Equipment and Parts: 2 mt
Surface exploration equipment 1 mt
Sunwing 6B: 1.5 mt
Consumables 8.5 mt
Life Support Equipment 2 tonne
Reactor: 1 mt
Chemical and Air Processing Equipment 4 mt
ACV3:
Biome 2: 11 mt
Reactor: 1 mt
Consumables 4 mt
Construction Equipment 4 mt
Total consumables and spares: 36 tonnes; Total Mars cargo, 112 tonnes
Lifter 7 replaces Lifter 4
1 expendable @ $170 m plus 101 mt cargo (@$1,000/kilogram using the new spaceplane) = $271 m
Total Outpost area: EXTERIOR: 15 greenhouses (1980 m2); trench greenhouse (122 m2); Clarke (700 m2) biomes-40 Yalta and Catalina (2700 m2); (total 5500 m2; enough to feed 55 people); INTERIOR: 4 habs (1000 m2); Geo Hall (200 m2); Renfrew (400 m2); Joseph (600 m2) biomes (3600m2) (total 5800m2; enough to accommodate 74 comfortably)
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The Aurorae Declaration
We, the residents of Aurorae Outpost,
Recognizing the need for civil authority to handle various matters, such as: certification of marriages, births, deaths, divorces, and other life events of importance; adjudication of disputes; drawing up ordinances to regular behavior for the common good; providing for common needs, such as education, health, safety, and the necessities of life; regulating businesses; raising revenue through taxation and other fees; and recognizing transfer of ownership of property;
Do hereby agree to establish a civic authority for the Borough of Aurorae, defining the jurisdiction of said authority as covering all residents and territory located between the equator and the fifteenth parallel south, and between the thirtieth and forty-fifth longitudinal parallels.
Specific actions of said civic authority will be defined and authorized by a majority vote of all residents over eighteen years of age and carried out by such officers as designated by the adult residents.
Modifications to the powers granted in this declaration must be made by a vote of three quarters of all adult residents.
Signed by all residents of Aureum this twelfth day of March, 2025 AG