Habitable Systems Survey
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| From six billion kilometres away, Plateia appears as little more than a pale blue dot. |
The Habitable Systems Survey is a scientific program initiated in the 1st century R.C. with the aim of identifying feasible candidates for future extrasolar exploration and colonization. Conducted jointly by the Esmarian Alliance Space Agency, the Tenzanese Aerospace Office, and the Thulean Federal Spaceflight Agency, various uncrewed space probes fielding torch drives were assembled in Plateian orbit from 0053 to 0075 R.C., bound for the systems of Almagest, Algomeiza, Oboth, Sopdet and Tho Etcheh. Through the usage of these torch drives, the probes were capable of reaching c-fractional speeds, meaning it would take decades for the probes to reach their destinations, and years thereafter for the information to be relayed back to Plateia.
The first probe, Argo 1, was launched on September 9, 0058, leaving the boundaries of the Solar System within the year. It would reach Almagest 34 years later in 0092, with data reaching Plateia in 0097. The data indicated, with high feasibility, the Almagest system's potential to sustain human life, with the worlds Almagest Cb, Almagest Cd, and Almagest Bb being of particular interest. Subsequent Argo-model probes launched in the 0060s and 0070s are expected to reach destination systems in the late 0140s.
Proposals for extrasolar generation ships derivative of Anaheim Cylinder designs have largely remained in the realm of theoreticals and studies, as the initial goals of constructing such vessels by the 0120s were rendered wholly impossible with the advent of the Colony War. The devastation incurred by the Solar War has revived interest for such a generation ship program in a long-term, but under much bleaker circumstances—as contingencies in the event of Mankind burning itself out in conflict.