Timeline
THE 21st CENTURY
THE 22nd CENTURY
THE 23rd CENTURY
The 21st Century
In the early decades of the 21st century, as fossil fuel production peaked then began to fall there was a global scramble for the dwindling reserves of oil, natural gas, minerals, and clean water. Governments throughout the world defined resource security as a prime objective, which caused widespread global instability, especially in those regions where competition for essential materials overlapped with long-standing territorial and religious disputes.
As the century progressed the political map of Earth was to change dramatically. New superpowers emerged to challenge the world dominance of the USA, with the most notable amongst these being China. Even the USA wasn't immune to change, uniting with Canada, Central America and parts of South America to form the United Americas, in direct response to the shifting economic climate.
By the middle decades of this century the global energy crisis was averted by the discovery of nuclear fusion, and Humanity also took it's first tentative steps towards colonising the solar system, but the real start of the Interstellar Space Age would have to wait until the dawning of the 22nd Century.
Perhaps the most important event of the 21st Century was the formation of the United Earth Federation.
2026: Jerusalem Accord signedA coup backed by elements of the army deposes the current hardline Israeli government bringing an end to the Fifth Middle East War. The war was not fought over religious beliefs or or territorial disputes as in the past. In 2022 Syria, Jordan and Israel went to war for the limited water resources delivered by the Jordan River. The United Nations step in to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Arab states in the region. The Israeli occupied West Bank becomes the nation of New Palestine while Jerusalem becomes an independent city much like 20th Century Kosovo. United Nations peacekeepers are deployed in Jerusalem for an indefinite period. |
2029: Formation of the European Federation; Final dissolution of NATOThe USA’s unrelenting support of Israel during the Fifth Middle East War causes NATO alliance to unravel. This clears the way for the formation of the European Federation from the member states of the European Union. The European Federation is a Federal super-state of more than 40 countries stretching from Iceland to the Caspian Sea. As well as the obvious member states, it includes the Balkans, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, and the Caucasian states of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Turkey's membership gives the European Federation a direct border with the troubled Middle East. The Trade War of 2017 had already driven a wedge between America and Europe. The events during the Fifth Middle East War push the UK and other ex-NATO countries into full membership of the European Federation, despite not fully accepting all of it's policies. This puts an end to the once treasured 'special relationship' between the Americas and UK, that has existed since WW2. Relations between the USA and UK will remain strained for several decades, but cooperation during the colonisation of the Moon restores ties between the two nations. |
2030: World Bank declares bankruptcy.Earth’s fossil fuel based economy reaches breaking point. With major oil reserves dwindling rapidly, on 23rd November 2030, the World Bank declares bankruptcy. Global Economy collapses, leading to civil unrest around the world. Rioting and looting breaks out in major cities across the globe. |
2031: Nuclear Fusion
The Tokomak fusion reactor at Cardarache in France is demonstrated to be safe, economically competitive and infinitely upscaleable. The breakthrough pulls the world back from the bring of global anarchy and social meltdown. The advent of cheap, safe and virtually limitless energy significantly shifts the balance of power on Earth. During the next decade there is a transitional period, as global economies and infrastructures change. By 2043, most of the world's energy needs will be met by fusion power. Regional wars are fought over the planet’s depleted oil reserves. The UN places a ban on the burning of fossil fuels and starts a compulsory recycling scheme of ALL plastic waste, as remaining reserves are designated for use in manufacturing of plastics, PVCs and UPVCs. |
2033: Formation of the Islamic Holy RepublicUnification of Iraq/Iran sees formation of the Islamic Holy Republic, with it’s capital in Tehran. |
2034: Lunar Landings ReduxHumanity returns to the Moon after an absense of almost 65 years. The Capricorn V landing is the first of a series of missions that are part of a commercially-backed project by the newly established United Nations Space Administration (UNSA) to prepare the way for a permanent Lunar colony. The main functions of the colony will be scientific research and to conduct a geological survey of the Lunar Regolith with a view to finding the best site to begin mining Helium-3. The first generation of fusion reactors run on Deuterium-Tritium fuel, but a new wave of Helium-3 fuelled reactors are seen as the way forward to secure Earth's growing power needs. |
2057: Lunar colony establishedArmstrong, the first permanent Lunar colony is established at the Copernicus Crater. The colony is nominally under UN Mandate, but it is primarily a joint American, European (UK and France) and Japanese venture. Initial population is 150. In the absence of any legally binding agreement governing the mineral exploitation of the moon, the megacorporations who financed the colony stake claims to large regions of the lunar nearside which selenologists believe harbour commercially viable ore deposits. |
2059: Commerce arrives in outer spaceThe powerful Japanese corporation Motokatsu-Kyono Combine begins successfully mining helium-3 from the Mare Imbrium. It sparks a wave of commercial interest in the Moon. Within 10 years, at least a dozen corporate concerns are involved in mining substances abundant on the lunar crust but scarce on Earth. These include helium-3, which is the ideal fuel for fusion reactors, gallium, which has replaced silicon in the making of chips, chromium, aluminium, iron, oxygen, gravidium and super-hard titanium. |
2061: The Mars Landings
4 July: UNSA spacecraft Ares 3 lands on Mars with a multi-national crew of 4 (American and Chinese). Utilising an advanced fusion drive the journey to Mars take little more than 2 months. |
2071:Ares station on Mars is now manned by 51 personnel. Stickney Base, a waystation for supply missions from the Earth-Moon system, is constructed on Phobos, larger of Mars’ two moons. The Armstrong Luna Colony now has a population approaching 400. With up to a dozen commercial mining bases scattered across the moon, the total Lunar population is close to 1000. John Ossoway celebrates his 100th birthday in the south of Spain, with his family. |
2074: The Luna Crisis
A dispute over water mining rights at the Clavius Crater between rival corporations Motokatsu-Kyono and the recently formed Lunar Development Corporation (LDC inc) escalates to the brink of the first armed conflict in space. Water ice provides the Lunar Colony with drinking water, oxygen and hydrogen for use as rocket fuel. Motokatsu-Kyono blame LDC for the "software bomb" that wreaked havoc at it’s Tokyo headquarters. The corporation threatens "retaliation" if its suspicions are confirmed. Both corporations begin evacuating non-essential personnel from their mining operations, while shipping security personnel from Earth. Reacting to the possibility of armed conflict on the Moon, Helium-3 prices on Earth begin to rise. Helium-3 is rare on Earth but relatively common on the lunar surface. Before events can escalate out of control, the UNSA manages to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the Lunar Crisis. As a direct result of the Lunar Crisis, the UNSA is given the mandate by the UNSC to establish the Lunar Security Force (LSF), a small detachment of soldiers and security specialists, tasked with keeping the peace and mediating any disagreements. In addition the Outer Space Treaty is revised, preventing any one organisation restricting the supply of a vital resource like water to other organisations. |
2084: Formation of the United AmericasUnited Americas formed. It initially encompasses the USA, Canada, Central America and parts of South America. |
2085: The United Earth SummitGeneva, 1st January 2085: The United Earth Summit is attended by Australia, China, the European Federation, Japan, New Zealand, the Russian Republic, South Africa, and the United Americas. The nations attending the summit propose that the United Nations Constitution be radically ratified. These proposals in effect dissolve the current UN, replacing it with the United Earth Federation (UEF). The nations who become signatories to the United Earth Constitution of 2085 become member-states of the first unified global government, an economic and political conglomerate committed to uniting the nations of Earth in preparation for the continued colonisation of Luna, and the planned colonisation of the planet Mars and the rest of the solar system. This move sparks several conflicts (the Unification Wars 2085-2102), primarily fuelled by nations who refuse to be a part of the global super-state. The newly formed United Earth Federation ratifies a treaty of United Earth Armed Forces (UEAF), a cohesive fighting force to stop these and future wars, with troops and equipment supplied by all member states, under one general command staff comprising of highranking officers of all nations. The biggest armies in the UEAF include EuroCorps, AmeriCorps, ChinaCorps, AsiaCorps and troops from India and Latin America. |
2086: Formation of the The Chinese ConsortiumFormation of the The Chinese Consortium from China, the Indonesian Consortium, Vietnam, Cambodia and (with some reluctance) North Korea. Many believe it’s formation is in response to the formation of the United Americas two years earlier. |
2087: South American War
A frighteningly potent alliance between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the National Liberation Army (ELN) threatens to tip the balance of power irretrievably towards the drug barons. At the request from the Columbian government, the United Americas increases it’s military aid package to the country. When Marxist guerrillas attack the UA Embassy in Bogotá, killing the American ambassador and 33 of his staff, the United Americas is drawn into a messy war, sending troops to fight alongside the Columbian troops against the guerrillas, who control much of the country's cocaine and heroin-producing regions. |
2091: Antarctic-GateWhen a United Americas company is found to be secretly drilling for oil in the Antarctic Nature Reserve, it leads to a major scandal in Washington, later to be dubbed ‘Antarctic-Gate’. A UEF inquiry unearths evidence of corruption at the highest levels of the United Americas government. The Anderson Presidency is left in ruins, as many of his senior staff are implicated. |
2094: The Shackleton DisasterDisaster strikes the Lunar colony when a transport loaded with water-ice mined from the Shackleton Crater crashes on take-off fracturing the main dome of the Shacktleton Mining Base. Before the ruptured sections can be sealed off, 23 people die from exposure to vacuum and a further 44 suffer serious injuries. During the subsequent investigation into the accident it is discovered that the transport suffered a catastrophic systems failure due to a history of poor maintenance. The United Earth Federation in conjunction with Lloyds Space Shipping pushes through new legislation designed to ground any ships that do not meet basic safety standards. |
2098: The Lunar ExpressConstruction starts on the Trans-Lunar Express, a high-speed monorail system connecting the major colony sites. |
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