 | ||
| Concordia | ||
|---|---|---|
| System | Bellona | |
| Type | Planet | |
| Astronomical Classification Index | TTMRN/H-SE | |
| Habitable | Yes | |
| Affiliation | Colonial Administration of Concordia | |
| Natural Satellites | Serenus, Calthan | |
| Artificial Satellites | Concordia Station | |
| Population | ~1,750 | |
| Gravity | 10.1 m/s | |
| Atmosphere | Nitrogen-Oxygen | |
| Axial Tilt | 15° | |
| Tidally Locked | No | |
| Orbital Period | 389 days | |
Concordia is a habitable exoplanet in the Bellona (Delta Pavonis) system and a newly-inhabited world, approximately 19.9 light years from Earth. Colonized by humanity in 2114, it is among the newest additions to humanity's extrasolar colonies and one of the most idyllic.
Concordia is perhaps one of the closest-resembling planets to Earth in nearly every characteristic, down to its parent star, Bellona, being similar to Sol. It has two moons, Serenus and Calthan. It also has one spaceport, Concordia Station, which processes inbound colony and supply ships and provides imagery and navigation to the surface via its network of orbital satellites and also has a small Sol Defence Corps patrol garrison.
Concordia possesses a rich, biosphere, with trees and animals common on the planet. It has several climates similar to Earth's, with everything from deserts to polar ice caps leaving a diverse ecosystem for life to grow.
Despite numerous searches and orbital satellite scans, no signs of native intelligent life have been found on the planet's surface. Researchers theorize, however, that Concordia is in a near-perfect condition to develop intelligent life, as it is only a few hundred million years younger than Earth and has had the opportunity to develop more advanced organisms.
Perhaps the only drawback to Concordia's idyllic existence is its high (but not inhospitable) levels of UV radiation that hit the planet's surface. This is due to Concordia having an underdeveloped ozone layer attributed to the planet's smaller size. While this does mean humans on the surface are more prone to skin diseases and sunburn in midday, colonization is still very much ideal.
Information
Concordia is a continental, marine world about 1.2 times the mass of Earth with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Much of its landmass is mountainous, owing to its chaotic tectonic history leading to many volcanic eruptions in its past and several tectonic collisions resulting in continental fusions. The consistent activity, however, created plenty of fertile ground, which combined with the planet's freshwater formations, gave rise to life. The planet also has an active water cycle, resulting in frequent precipitation planet-wide.
Owing to its UV intensity, the planet also has a large, equatorial desert spanning several continents, making them inhospitable. Surveys for possible petroleum deposits in these regions have turned up with promising results.
The native flora of the planet bears remarkable resemblance to Earth's own, with trees, bushes, and grasses. While hundreds of species of trees have been documented, owing to the planet's diverse ecosystem and different climates, one thing all plants seem to have in common are bluish-green tinted leaves, darker than those of the average Earth plant. The colouration originates from higher concentrations of anthocyanins in the plants' leaves, intended to protect against the above-average UV radiation that strikes the planet. This dyes the planet's landmasses an exotic blue-green hue, different from the almost yellowish-green colours of Earth.
Satellites
Concordia has two natural satellites: Serenus and Calthan. Serenus is a small, silicate, Pluto-sized celestial body tidally locked to Concordia, giving weak tides. Calthan is a non-spherical planetoid, approximately 150 km in diameter, in an elliptical orbit distant from Concordia. Calthan is presumed to be a captured asteroid and has little to no effect on the planet's tidal forces or gravity.
In addition to the natural moons, Concordia Station, a trade port-type space station, is located in a low orbit 520 km above the planet's surface. In addition to being a port of entry, it also has several rest-stop facilities to take care of inbound transport ships after they made the long journey from Sol. An SDC garrison also calls the station its home, with ships SDCN Tallinn and SDCN Wikinger currently stationed there as of 2117.
Colonies
The largest, and only incorporated, settlement on Concordia is Monrovia, situated on a forested riverbank and home to over 800 permanent inhabitants who migrated from Sol. Most of the remainder of the planet's colonist population live in semi-isolated farms adjoined by central trade towns, a model similar to that of 20th century Europe and North America. Concordia's idyllic conditions have attracted thousands of additional prospective colonists who seek to move to the planet within the next few years, bolstering the population even more. Despite being a fledgling colony, it is very much the fastest growing.
Concordia is primarily marketed to hopeful colonists as one promoting agrarian lifestyles and development. Colonists are able to purchase enormous swathes of land on the planet for bargain prices and use them to grow crops or raise livestock, a novelty that is becoming increasingly unfeasible or financially unsustainable on Earth with its shift to hydroponic farming, synthmeat, and sustainable livestock practices. As a result, millions of genetically engineered seeds and thousands of livestock are imported to Concordia from Earth breeding facilities, where they are bought by farmer colonists and raised.
While some of the farmers on the planet are retirees who farm simply for the novelty, others have taken up the mantle of exporting crops and animal products to Sol on outbound cargo ships. Due to the high competition posed by raw agricultural materials, many farmers have taken up the trades of artisanry, exporting high-quality farm products like jams, textiles, dairy products like cheese and butter, and tea. These fetch much higher prices in Sol and have become a popular method of income for colonial farmers looking to make the most of their farms. This has resulted in Concordia earning a reputation for its artisanry, with goods from it being praised as "high quality".
Colonial Administration
Concordia is currently governed by the provisional Colonial Administration of Concordia, a fledgling agency installed to maintain peace and regulate trade. It uses the Sol Defence Corps as its law enforcement arm, pending the establishment of a formal police force due to the colony's infancy.
Concordia has stirred controversy in recent times owing to its colonists' liberal use of deforestation to plant crops, actions which could wreak havoc on the local ecosystem and cause Earth crops like wheat and potatoes to spread and invade native wildlife. The CAC is, as of 2116, currently debating resolution to limit the amount of environmental damage colonists can do to the planet for the sake of their own developments.