Space and Aeronautical Research Agency

The **Space and Aeronautical Research Agency** is the government department of Gristol-Serkonos responsible for the country's civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

Lord High Chancellor Erling Ulfsson announced the merger of the civilian Office of Aeronautical Research and of the military Space Exploration Agency. He established SARA as a civilian agency encouraging peaceful applications in space science. The Imperial Space and Aeronautics Act of 1952 was passed, merging the two agencies and SARA became operational in May 1954. Since the merger, SARA led Gristol-Serkonosean space exploration efforts in cooperation with several Sondrian countries. SARA's successful missions and inventions include the landing of Diana moon-missions in the 1960's, and the Aurora family of heavy launch two-stage rockets which is still used by SARA.

SARA operates its mission control headquarters in Rien-Stadt, C.D.R. with two launch facilities in Makkinga Launch Centre at Luminaa Island, Marois Space Centre in the Horizon and Ascension Group of Islands. The agency also operates Research and Development Facilities in Griswald, Motala, Medelplana, Marlenne, Mantilanniemi, and Kivelä. Assembly facilities for SARA assets are located in Tygelsjö, Nathanii.

## Current and Planned Space Flight Missions

* **New Horizons**
* **2030 Lunar Outpost**
* **2050 Mars Mission**

## SARA Field Centres

* **SARA Administration Centre** houses SARA leadership who provide overall guidance and direction to the agency. It also houses production offices for SARA TV, the agency's broadcast network.
* **Griswald Space Research Centre** is the largest combined organization of scientists and engineers in Gristol-Serkonos dedicated to increasing knowledge of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe via observations from space. GSRC is a major SE laboratory for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft.
* **Motala Jet Propulsion Laboratory** is the research facility responsible research, development, and operation of space probes as well as testing experimental aerospace projects. It also houses several rocket testing facilities used by SARA, the private and public companies and agencies.
* **Medelplana Flight Research Centre** is SARA's office in which researchers use more than 40 wind tunnels to study improved aircraft and spacecraft safety, performance, and efficiency.
* **Marlenne Aeronautical Research Centre** was founded to do wind-tunnel research on the aerodynamics of propeller-driven aircraft; however, it has expanded its role to doing research and technology in aeronautics, spaceflight, and information technology. It provides leadership in astrobiology, small satellites, robotic lunar exploration, intelligent/adaptive systems and thermal protection.
* **Mantilanniemi Space Flight Centre** is SARA's centre for human space-flight training and research.
* **Kivelä Deep Space Communications Facility** operates SARA's Deep Space Communications Network.
* **Tygelsjö Assembly Plant** is established in 2008 in order to centralize all manufacturing of space-craft, probes, and rockets used by SARA.
* **Makkinga Launch Centre** is the equatorial launch centre in Luminaa Island.
* **Marois Space Centre** is SARA's second launch facility in Marois Atoll in the Horizon Group of Islands.