The Draak are having a bit of a duranium crunch, their current production is about 2700 tonnes a year (2100 on the homeworld and the rest scattered over 5 other colonies). They had a really good Xeno team (rated 170) and there was a destroyed outpost on a x2 T-planet 3 jumps from the homeworld*, the planet has 10 of 11 TNT minerals and duranium at 0.9. So after a bit of debate they scrape together 48 infrastructure, 1 fabrication facility and 2 mines and send that plus 160,000 colonists and the team there. The team promptly activates an additional fabrication facility, 160 infrastructure, 1 mine and then finds 14,400 tonnes of duranium. The motherload...a wholey unexpected Christmas gift...astounding good luck....just what the doctor ordered.
That duranium will reboot the economy big time with virtually all of it going into facilities and most of those mines or automatic mines.
August 3rd 2042: Earth's first resouce crisis. Due to an oversight by the Naval Survey department and Logistics department there is not enough Tritanium for current industrial programs. The construction of the Nelsons is to blame. Two officers are sacked. One of which, Milton Acquaviva, used to be an avid Militarist supporter. Many believe he deliberately fudged some numbers to proceed with the construction.
August 8th 2042: TES Discovery heads for home to refuel. The Kupier objects are far apart, and require a lot of time to reach, but only a few are left unsurveyed. Some question the need to continue these trips.
August 12th 2042: Opposition begins to form against the Militarists. Dubbed the Explorers, this faction is made up of old die-hard Geologists as well as those that would prefer not to militarize space. They gain support because of recent Militarist incompetence, but their inherent ideology is seen as unrealistic, and thus they seem destined to always be the lesser of the two factions.
August 24th 2042: NA01 is completed in Toronto. Along with its sensors Earth's civilian tracking array is upgraded.
October 10th 2042: A gravitational anonmoly burns out one of the sensors on the TES Yuri Gagarin. While the problem is fixed, the ship was about due to return for an overhaul anyway. The ship sets course for Earth after finishing it's current sensor sweep.
October 20th 2042: As it's leaving the area, TES Yuri Gagarin detects a new jump point. Half way between Saturn and Uranus at nearly 180 degrees from the previous find.
November 5th 2042: NA03 finally completed in Santiago. Furth fueling controvery the Militarist who was blamed for starting the resource crisis is assigned as the commander. While he keeps his spot, his career advancement is promptly ruined because many now believe he struck a deal with Admiral Candia to get a "field command".
November 29th 2042: Imperial Shipworks is finally ready to begin construction of the Outreach class. Two are ordered, the TES Henry Hudson and the TES Zheng He. Both are set to be finished May 6th 2044. Fortunately, they will not be slowed by the shortage.
December 4th 2042: After reviewing survey records, the new overseer of the logistics department reports a Neutronium shortage also.
December 9th 2042: In a bifactional report, it is recomended to Emperor Patrick that the only viable site that would provide the needed resouces is Titan, a very hard prospect with current technology.
January 2nd 2043: NA04 finally completed in Kazan, Russia, two months behind schedule. The economy begins to recover somewhat.
January 5th 2043: Elections result in a still strong Militarist mandate. However, many look to join the Explorers out of simple opposition.
January 11th 2043: With the entire "fleet" home, officer reassignments happen again. Militarists once more work key supporters into high positions. Control of the fleet is one advantage that they will most likely always have, except in cases where a rival noble takes direct control.
February 21st 2043: Preliminary designs for the missiles crusiers complete. Experts forsee a missile shortage from the construction of only four such vessles after one engagement. Unfortunately, Tritanium is key in missile production.
May 22nd 2043: Captain Gene Moree, who'd taken over for Duke Brule after the Yuri Gagarin returned to port dies after a section depressurizes during overhaul, once again calling into question Imperial safety standards.
June 2nd 2043: Final design for the Toronto Class Missile Crusier is revealed. It is designed to operate in conjuncture with an as of yet designed sensor ship. Also of note is it's inability to operate with the existing jump ships under construction.
October 29th 2043: A scientist and militarist supporter Theodore Knaebel releases a report on shipyard operations following Captain Moree's death. Not only do safety standards improve, but so does efficency. It is estimated that his proposed changes will shave three months off the construction time of the two jump scouts, as their most immediate benefit. This allows the naval plan to be accelerated by upwards of two years. He is awarded the title Duke of Ohio for his efforts.