Current Scenario

Bellevistat, initiated 2028, operational 2041
The Foundation Society anticipated a "space construction boom" when assets involved in solar shield construction were no longer needed for that purpose. It therefore elected to build a second settlement, Bellevistat, as its primary space manufacturing center in Earth orbit. The settlement has access to a a continuous supply of raw materials, in the form of a captured metallic asteroid.

Columbiat, initiated 2044, operational 2056
As a lunar settlement, Alaskol, begins service as a center for export of lunar materials to space construction projects, it also serves as a base for expansion of lunar surface infrastructure, and is becoming the hub of a lunar tourism industry.

It became clear to the Foundation Society that commerce in space has matured to the point that a "Singapore-in-orbit" would be valuable for providing cargo transfer and financial services to space-based businesses. Indeed, with completion of Alaskol, the Foundation society will have more members in space than on Earth's surface. Columbiat, the third settlement in Earth orbit, will be the largest of the Society's orbital communities, and also the location of Foundation Society Headquarters.

Aresam Scenario, 2055
The demand for lunar materials, both for Foundation Society projects and other enterprises, led to a decision to establish Balderol to join Alaskol as a second lunar facility, in close proximity to more diverse resources of the lunar far side. As human interests expand outward in the solar system, the Foundation Society concluded that the time has come to reach toward a long-term goal, settlement of the planet Mars. Ten years of human exploration missions on the red planet have revealed plentiful water sources at the poles and in lowland aquifers, and an abundance of mineral riches. Establishment of the Aresam settlement in Mars orbit will enable the Foundation Society to conduct its own surveys of the planet for suitable surface construction sites.

Argonom Scenario, Year 2060
The need and demand for exploring Mars as a habitable base lead to the development of Argonom, the first space settlement on the surface of Mars. It acts as the supply base for mining and supply operations of high value metals.

Astoria Scenario, Year 2071
Astoria will be the first large space settlement community in solar orbit within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and will primarily serve as a harvesting and processing center for asteroid resources. The Foundation Society envisions Astoria as a mine-to-manufacture installation, harvesting a diversity of asteroid types and producing as much as possible of the things that humans need for living and working in orbit.

Current Scenario: Aynah, 2077
After fusion propulsion technology enabled relatively rapid and cost-effective interplanetary transportation, the Foundation Society embarked on more aggressive investigations of possible commercial opportunities throughout the solar system. An inexpensive "experiment of curiosity" by a geologist and an engineer -- leaving samples of various alloys on the surface for an entire 175 Earthday-long day of Mercury -- led to the discovery that long exposure to solar heat and radiation, followed by a long "cold soak", changes material properties in unexpected ways. Further experimentation led to the development of a true miracle metal; lightweight, strong, amenable to producing complex shapes, self-lubricating, and providing protection from heat, cold, and radiation. Aynah will serve as the base for manufacturing and curing Reardonium and for acting as a Port of Entry for Mercury.

More details of the expected RFP can be found in the next section - Preliminary RFP.