Coetus Astrum

Coetus Astrum

Union Australis Space Agency
Abbreviation	CA
Formation	1679 AN
Members	Caradia  Cira

The Coetus Astrum (lit. "Star Group") is the space agency of the Union Australis, being a joint agency between the Confederate Agency for Space Exploration, of the Ciric Confederacy, and the Southern Space Initiative of Caradia.

Background

While the Southern Space Initiative was never a particularly strong or important space agency, it was nonetheless subsumed into the Coetus Astrum by the Confederate Agency for Space Exploration, officially due to an effort to tighten the alliance between Caradia and the confederacy further, but in reality it was because the confederate agency was short staffed, and was in need of less trained employees, which it sought in Caradia. The agency exists primarily to further the ambitions of the confederacy before the alliance was founded.

Programs

Mission	Type	Start date	End date	Status	Notes
Atmospheric Meteorological Survey	unmanned (satellite)	7.XIV.1679 AN		Active	A series of satellites launched into orbit to monitor the weather patterns of Micras, particularly at the equator.

Current Research Programs

Project	Type	Start date	End date	Status	Notes
Atos Weapons Platform	Military	13.XI.1679 AN		Active	A study started by the Confederate Agency for Space Exploration and continued by the Coetus Astrum, the Atos Weapons Platform is a joint research project with the Ciric armed forces to design a possible satellite containing weapons that could be deployed from orbit.
Rhodsson Project	Civilian	16.III.1680 AN		Active	A project independent of any military funding intending to be the first manned mission of the Union to space; the space ship, the Rhodsson-1, began construction in II.1680, and is projected to be finished in VI.1680, coinciding with the completion of training of the four Australisian cosmonauts who will be sent on the mission: Zara Ivanova and Iohan Arescu from Caradia, and Heston Paine and Olga Kristjansdotter from the confederacy. The mission aims to get the Rhodsson-1 out of Micras's atmosphere, stay in space for six hours, and land in the Antarctic Ocean for recovery, in order to prove the feasibility of utilising space for various purposes.

Hardware

Name	Type	Picture	Armament	Status	Notes
Rhodsson Class	Shuttle		4 x 12cm Naval Gun	In Development	The Rhodsson Class space shuttle is the first space-faring craft other than satellites produced by the Coetus Astrum; it is intended to be used for the Rhodsson Project as proof that the Union should be more involved in space. The Rhodsson Class space shuttle is equipped with four 12cm naval guns following Caradian designs in order to avoid large pieces of space junk damaging the craft's hull. It uses a combined plasma and chemical propulsion system.