American space program

The **American space program** has its roots in World War II experiments with rocketry and other weaponized launch systems for long and short-range combat. Since the 1950s, the American space program has been at the forefront of the nation's affairs. Often receiving ire from critics for being "too militarized, too corporatized, and too much of a distraction from earthly problems."

## Overview

* Corporate
	+ SpaceCon
	+ Vega Aerospace
	+ Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems
* Civilian
	+ NASA/JPL
* Global
	+ International Space Commission
* Military
	+ U.S. Space Command
		- U.S. Army Rangers (space rangers?)
		- U.S.M.C. Space Expeditionary Division

## Missions

### SpaceCon

* Space Challenge I (mission to send the first astronaut into space), succeeded in 1959.
* Space Challenge II (mission to create and fly the first commercially viable SSTO space plane), not successful

### Vega Aerospace

* Private spaceflight operations since the 1980s.
* Various asteroid mining operations since the 1990s.
* SSTO Spaceplane Program (mission to create the world's first commercially viable SSTO spaceplane), successful in 1980s, widely available in the late 1980s. Based on Starraker spaceplane.
* Multipurpose long-range spaceplane program (mission to create a fully reusable SSTO spaceplane that can travel interplanetary), successful in the 1990s and 2000s. Based on Ares 1B Lander from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eagle transporter from Space 1999. Military applications based on Hot Eagle and SUSTAIN.
* Project Pilgrim (interplanetary exploration missions), responsible for crewed missions to Venus, Mars, and the Asteroids. In conjunction with NASA/JPL and international partners. 1970s and onward.
* Human Outer Planets Explorer (outer planets exploration missions), crewed mission to Jupiter and Saturn and back. In conjunction with NASA/JPL and international partners. 2010s.
* Project Diaspora (extrasolar colonization mission), in operation during the 2020s.

### NASA/JPL

* Various space probe missions since the 1950s.
* Project Mercury (mission to send the first astronaut into space), succeeded in 1961, remaining assets upgraded to Project Mercury Mark II.
* Project Mercury Mark II/Project Ulysses (missions carrying two astronauts into space), succeeded in 1965, missions ongoing. Moon missions in the 1960s and 1970s.
* Project Apollo (mission to send the first astronauts to the Moon), cancelled in 1961, assets switched to Project Mercury Mark II.
* Project Olympia (space station program, a combination of SpaceCon and US military assets), succeeded in the 1970s. Based on Skylab applications.
* National Space Launch System (space shuttle orbiter program), began in 1981 and discontinued in 2001. Launched from Cape Canaveral AFB.
* International Moonbase, operation since the 1990s.
* Shuttle II program (next generation shuttle orbiter), began in the 1990s and still active.
* Shuttle III program (latest generation shuttle orbiter), in development.

### U.S. armed forces space programs

* Project Liberty (used existing Ulysses spacecraft to carry two astronauts or more into space), succeeded in the 1960s. Based on Big G, Advanced Gemini, and Blue Gemini.
* Strategic Defense Initiative (military space weapons platform), succeeded in the late 1970s. Based on SDI of the 1980s.
* Project Zenith (military moonbase operation), succeeded in the 1970s. Based on Project Horizon.
* Project Starlight (military nuclear program on the Moon), succeeded in the 1970s. Based on Project A119.

* Space Station America (military space station), succeeded in the 1980s. Based on Space Station Freedom.
* USAF Space Shuttle program (military space shuttles), began in 1979 and discontinued in 1999. Launched from Vandenberg AFB.
* USAF Next Gen Shuttle (next gen shuttle orbiter), active since 2000.
* X-37C Shuttle program (latest generation military space shuttle), active since the mid-2010s.