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| Final Frontier Project | ||
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| Founded | 2090 | |
| Headquarters | SDCSS Charon, Charon | |
| Type | Exploration agency | |
The Final Frontier Project, abbreviated as the FFP and often referred to as just the Project, is a new space exploration initiative jointly commissioned by the United Nations's Sol Defence Corps and the AXIOM Corporation in 2090, along with several other private and public sponsors, with the goal of finding new worlds for humanity to colonize outside of the Sol system. The initiative uses United Nations personnel from both its science and military wings to serve aboard its ships, which are outfitted with Alcubierre drives to allow for faster-than-light travel. These include the Escapade, Endurant, and the Emissary. Several exoplanets have been singled out and marked for exploration by the FFP, the most notable being Trappist-1e and Kepler-22b.
History
In the wake of the rapid colonization of the Sol and increasing levels of natural disasters on Earth, the United Nations government, in 2090, sought to create a new astronomical programme dedicated to exploring the cosmos for planets similar to Earth that could be colonized by humanity. The programme would be called the "Final Frontier Project", dedicated to finding new homes to continue human existence and expand the UN's borders.
The FFP originally operated as a well-funded observatory group, charting star systems and creating the Astronomical Classification Index. It was following the successful testing of faster-than-light (FTL) technology with the SDCX Escapade that plans were quickly assembled to create a fleet of exploratory vessels with the goal of actually visiting nearby star systems, documenting their attributes, and marking them for colonization by prospective human settlers.
Operation
The Final Frontier Project is a scientific exploration and research agency under the military's supervision, owned by the Sol Defence Corps and operated by its navy in partnership with several private sponsors. FFP ships are either purpose-built or retrofitted to feature luxurious amenities and plenty of accomodations, owing to their extremely long mission lengths of up to years at a time in-between visits to port.
Personnel
The FFP consists primarily of SDC enlisted crew and officers, along with a series of contractors and civilian personnel fulfilling roles both on- and off-ship. By mandate, entry into the FFP is strictly on a voluntary basis, and everyone wishing to enter the ranks of the Project's expeditionary division must undergo intense survival and EVA training for certification to operate far from home. All military personnel cleared for and assigned to the FFP are given a commemorative medal, while civilian personnel typically receive additional benefits from their contractors.
When not in extrasolar operations, the FFP acts as a military-science agency responsible for documenting habitability and potential terraforming for colonies, such as Mars and Venus. It also documents and categorizes new systems for expeditions later down the line.
Ships
The FFP currently fields two dedicated flagships of the Ambassador-class: SDCN Ambassador (HCR-145) and SDCN Emissary (HCR-146), the latter being more recent. These ships are often deployed to highly-public, anomalous regions to investigate further discoveries and eye-catching worlds.
In addition, they also operate several Korea-class dedicated exploration/science vessels for further study or scouting.