Frontier Aerospace

Frontier Aerospace is the premiere aviation and spacecraft private sector company, second only to Starfleet (with whom they are partnered). The company was founded as a merger between Creighton Aviation and Montgomery Spacecraft, both of which dealt in smaller, commercial vehicles.

As Frontier progressed, they expanded their existing facilities and opened new instillations - most notably their current headquarters (Euclid, OH). Their designs became more ambitious and lucrative, eventually outperforming their competition by 2219.

In 2231, COO Leah Baptiste and the Board of Directions established the Warp 10 Prototype Program, centered on the sole purpose of producing the first Warp 10 capable spacecraft in human history. The project was codenamed "Peregrine", a name which would later be bestowed upon the initial prototype vessel (USS Peregrine). After a decade and a half of research and development, Starfleet realized the significance of the project and offered their assistance. The *Peregrine* had been constructed solely by Frontier Aerospace at their Euclid facility; with help from Starfleet, the company strove to construct a much larger vessel (USS Endeavour), which would eventually be accepted into Starfleet. The Warp 10 Prototype Program would also spawn one of Starfleet's first true warships (USS Ethos).

After the success of the *Endeavour* and the *Ethos*, Frontier Aerospace began constructing a refined version of the *Endeavour* (*Phoenix*-class), scheduled to be completed in August of 2260.

## Formation/Merger

Creighton Aviation was a moderately-large corporation that produced a number of successful commercial vehicles. The company was run by Richard Creighton and Zahir Yousef. Montgomery Spacecraft was a moderately-large, mildly-successful company that primarily produced impulse shuttles. The company was gradually losing profit, and on track to bankruptcy by the turn of the century. The company was headed by former Starfleet officer Margaret Leland and Edgar Montgomery.

Zahir Yousef saw Montgomery Spacecraft as an opportunity to expand their financial horizons. By acquiring the company and updating its facilities, Montgomery Spacecraft could save itself from certain destruction. However, Leland was not entirely receptive to the notion of a complete procuration. After months of negotiation, an agreement was reached where Creighton Aviation and Montgomery Spacecraft would merge, producing a re-branded company: Frontier Aerospace. The contract catalyzing the merger was signed by both parties on January 17th, 2193.

The transition of power was, by no means, without incident. Creighton and Leland fought over who would retain control of the company; eventually, a cooperative presidency hierarchy was established. Most employees and executives settled into their new positions with little issue.

The extended time spent in transition cost both companies a fair bit of revenue. After updating Montgomery's facilities, Frontier Aerospace re-emerged as a competitor in the aerospace market, one of the first corporations to delve into both industries since the third World War.

## Early Success

Frontier Aerospace's primary income and growth came from the combined revenue generated by producing what both Creighton Aviation and Montgomery Spacecraft had come to produce. Concurrent technologies between the two types of craft were exchanged, creating designs superior to their predecessors. These new vessels propelled Frontier to the top of its industry.

Initially, Frontier simply acted as a conglomerate corporation. Creighton Aviation and Montgomery Spacecraft retained their individual names and claims on their products. In 2204, the decision was made to brand all products with the Frontier Aerospace name. The merger was complete.

## Facility Construction

In order to further their success, Frontier Aerospace began constructing new facilities in 2203 (a year before the complete merger). Two facilities were constructed in Syracuse, NY and Avon, IN to serve as research and production plants for aircraft. The construction of the Syracuse and Avon facilities was complete in 2209. Two more facilities (Wright-Patterson, OH and Armada, MI) were constructed between 2203 and 2211 to serve as research and production plants for spacecraft.

In 2208, Frontier purchased a tract of land near Cleveland, OH. The area had originally been known as the city of Euclid. Frontier kept this name and proceeded with the construction of their facility, which would be completed in 2219.

The primary reason Frontier purchased the area, though, was because of the presence of an abandoned military installation: a massive subterranean weapons storage facility constructed by the United States of America during World War III. Starfleet and the United Earth Government believed that the location of this facility was unknown to anyone but their officials - this preconception was clearly wrong.

Frontier clandestinely developed the storage facility alongside the construction of their primary facility. When completed, Frontier named their secret facility Euclid Underground, inferably after the original designation.

### Euclid Underground

Euclid Underground was roughly rectangular, and approximately 420 meters (length) by 270 meters (width) by 90 meters (depth) - more than capable of containing an *NX*-class starship. In order to accommodate potentially larger projects, the facility was deepened to 110 meters over the course of two years.

From 2231 to 2233, a two massive bay doors were installed on top of the facility. The ground above the facility had to be removed. When the United Earth Government saw the doors being revealed by ground removal, they inquired with Frontier as to their purpose. Frontier executives maintained that the doors were not doors, and that the installation was nothing more than a metal pad on which projects were conducted. To increase the plausibility of their claim, Frontier did conduct a few mock experiments over the years.

The Warp 10 Prototype Program, which was also clandestine, was housed within the concrete walls of Euclid Underground. The USS Peregrine was constructed within the confines of the facility, but not deployed until 2257. The *Peregrine* was subsequently returned to the facility for decommissioning.