ASTEROID 2020 - The first self-replicating 3-D printer is made. 2040 - Asteroid 2040AT4, subsequently named 2040 Vulcan is discovered. Preliminary analyses suggest that it contains unusually high concentrations of heavy metals. 2041 - China, Russia, India, and the US announce a joint mission to bring a small asteroid into Earth orbit for mining as terrestrial resources for making advanced electronics dwindle. 2047 - The first fusion power plant goes online. 2052 - The Chinese vessel Tripitaka is launched to pull back the asteroid into geosynchronous orbit over Gabon. The mission will take 25 years. 2071 - Violent protests are put down in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Odessa, Munich, and Mumbai as trepidation rises about a potential asteroid collision with Earth or more violent tides due to extra pull on the earth from the impending asteroid. 2077 - 2040 Vulcan is shunted into place over Gabon. In a joint address to the UN General Assembly the presidents announce that the Earth now has two moons. 2077 - Russia launches Ivanova, a rocket equipped with an asteroid lander containing autonomous miners and smelters. The US simultaneously launches Einstein, a lander containing several self-replicating 3D printers, rovers, and networking equipment. 2078 - Internet uplink is established with Vulcan allowing engineers to control equipment from the ground. 2081 - 255 3D printers are established on mineral rich sites in the asteroid. A so-called “mega-printer" is established on the part of the asteroid facing earth. Extrusion of a space elevator begins. 2083 - Printers are set on the task of building a second ship that will launch from space to bring back another asteroid. 2090 - The Lewis and Clark leaves Vulcan to retrieve a second asteroid. 2115 - The Lewis and Clark’s asteroid is in place over Ecuador. It is seeded autonomously by equipment from Vulcan. Work begins on a US-sponsored space elevator 2150 - The Tian Shan (Vulcan) Space Elevator makes contact with the Earth. 2153 - Ready-made electronics and machine tools arrive on Earth from the Vulcan. 2181 - The first freeze-dried hydroponic mushrooms arrive on earth, proving that even farming can be carried out in space. 2300 - Over a hundred asteroids are in orbit. 12 space elevators carry material in a steady stream down to Earth. Recyclables are carried back up. Raw materials are shot down by railgun, including He3 for fusion reactors. Permanent human outposts are constructed in space by the equipment on the asteroids. Third-world style poverty is entirely eradicated. The world’s population is up to 93% urban. 2351 - The last mine on earth closes down. With decreased environmental pressures brought on by fusion power and offworld mining, cybernetics, and paradigm changing medical advances, the average human lifespan around the world is “indeterminate" 2400 - As many asteroids now orbit Mars as do Earth. Asteroids are brought to Venus as well and terraforming begins on both worlds. 2721 - The population of Mars is 35 million. Venus has 27 million people. The first starship is built in Venutian orbit and will head for the nearest extrasolar Earth-like planet. The mission will take 121 years.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:45:56 +0000
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