Ulysses 1994XF04

The Ulysses 1994XF04 Asteroid is a massive asteroid, possibly the biggest in the whole Ace Combat world, which changed flow of history and the face of the planet. The legacy of the 1994XF04 Ulysses Asteroid spans from its discovery in 1994, the massive destruction caused in the early 2000s, and to the destruction of the final Ulysses Interception weapon in 2016.

Discovery
In December of 1994, the International Union of Astronomists (IUA) sighted a large Asteroid on a collision course with the Planet. The FCU Government, located in the middle of the Usean Continent, called for a further study of the incoming asteroid. A special team, consisting of prominent astronomers, astronomical physicists, and geologists was formed and placed under the IUA. It was found that the asteroid, officially labeled as the "1994XF04 Ulysses" had a diameter of roughly 1.6km and had an extremely high probability of impacting the planet.

In October of 1995, Comona University, assisted by Shellsbridge University's observation's, calculated the exact trajectory of the asteroid. At approximately 3:30pm USEA Eastern Standard Time on July 3rd, 1999, the asteroid would be in close proximity with the planet. The two Universities calculated that the asteroid would impact the northern hemisphere with the force of 2,000,000 nuclear bombs. Upon impact the world would be plunged into a Nuclear Winter.

Global Community Effort
The FCU Government decided that it would not be prudent in announcing their findings to the general public, in cooperation with the Aerospace Society, government researchers began to explore possible solutions to the impending disaster to be caused by the Ulysses. They soon realized that a solution was not possible unless they had full cooperation from their allies.

On April 20th of 1996, the President of the FCU addresses all ambassadors and leaders of all nations. He announced that the 1994FXF04 Ulysses would, in fact, impact the planet. The date of the impact and scope of the damage expected to be fall the planet was also announced to the world community. These announcements sent shock-waves around the world. During the same conference the FCU President announced that a special project to stop the collision would be initiated.

"The disastrous effects of the asteroid collision will not only affect the USEA, but the whole planet. We are now facing almost certain extinction. We must increase the number of underground shelters and strengthen our defenses. We are now considering possible methods of intercepting the asteroid. If the human race is to survive into the next century, we must devise appropriate measures." said the President, appealing to the world for assistance with this special project.

Ulysses Defense Projects
Also on April 20th, 1996, alongside the FCU President's press conference, the FCU Secretary of State Stetson attended an urgent meeting of the Committee of Foreign Affairs at the Headquarters of the USEA Treaty Organization (UTO). He explained a proposal to use the Nuclear Missile Defense (NMD) system on the Usean Continent to destroy the Ulysses Asteroid. He further explained how the system could be implemented and asked for cooperation of all allies. During a press conference, he stated that "It is the FCU's responsibility to construct a missile defense system that will eliminate the threat the asteroid Ulysses posesess to the FCU and its allies."

Some allied nations were skeptical of the NMD proposal and its organization. Thoughts of it being used for military purposes arose. However, all nations eventually expressed their willingness to cooperate, even though the countries involved in the development of the Nuclear Missile Defense system would shoulder a heavy burden.

After considering the worst-case scenario for the events to take place in 1999, the Secretary of State made suggestions of the final defense plan. "Without the understanding and cooperation of all countries it will not be possible to implement this defense plan." said the Secretary of State, without disclosing further details. The considered plans included attatching a propulsion device to the asteroid and also the firing of multiple interceptor missiles from the NMD System. However, once the Ulysses passed the Roche Limit, there was no way to deter it. The effectiveness of this NMD Proposal was unclear, but among the many plans at the time, this was the most plausible. Though, the special project put under way by the FCU as a whole was researched more than the Secretary of State's proposal.

Despite already participating in the project being run by the FCU, the country of Erusea planned a side project. It was to be constructed in the Twinkle Islands, off the Erusean Coast. Though the project was on a smaller scale than the "special project" being pushed by the nations around the world, mainly the FCU, this Erusean project did see progress. This Erusean Project would produce a super-hardened ICBM Missile Base known as "Megalith".

Also unknown to the world's community, a third project was under way, outside of the Usean Continent on the Anea. This weapon was only funded, constructed and operated by one nation, the Federal Republic of Estovakia. This weapon was located in the vicinity of Sonne Island off the northern coast of Estovakia. This weapon, known as "Chandelier", was to use a colossal Rail Gun system to launch a specialized delivery system, which is quite similar to the MIRV concept in design and seperated into multiple cruise missiles which attacked independent targets. The Chandelier was to be loaded by a conveyer system, located in a trench directly below the Chandelier's Rail Gun. The weapons which were to be fired from the Chandelier were held in an underground ammunition store, which was located directly below the Chandelier itself. The Chandelier was also to be able to fire repeatedly in short amounts of time. Though there is no confirmed date of the beginning of its construction, the project was under way during the same time as the FCU lead multi-national effort to destroy the Ulysses.

The Special Project: Stonehenge
Many nations around the world began to participate in the "special project" that was lead initiated by the FCU. With the close of the Belkan War, the Osean Federation (Osea) and the Union of Yuktobanian Republics (Yuktobania) was more then willing to help the FCU with its project to destroy the Ulysses, but with post-war chaos, was unable to do so. This was because of a lack of funds and human resources. Each nation had no other choice, but to restore their nations after the war.



The project was to construct a weapon capable of engaging the 1994XF04 Ulysses Asteroid outside of the Roche Limit in order to deter a direct impact with the planet. Construction lasted for many years on end in (or near) the Sandbury Desert. The project spanned multiple years and incorporated the world's best technologies. The weapon would use an Electromagnetic Firing system to propel 120cm special shells into space at MACH 23 and be able to fire in a 360 degree radius, with the ability to fire upon different targets independently. This weapon was known officially known as the Stonehenge Turret Network (STN) or "Stonehenge" for short. The completed Stonehenge Turret Network consisted of eight cannons placed in a circular formation. This facility was to be protected by the military, including an air base near the STN. An Air Patrol was posted to protect the STN and was lead by John Harvard, a former Scarface squadron pilot with experience during the Usean Rebellion.

As the days grew closer to the projected impact date, the Stonehenge Turret Network was completely operational and prepared to engage the 1994XF04 Ulysses Asteroid.

World Wide Migration and Developments
However, in July of 1998, exactly one year before the estimated impact, the International Astronomical Union had submitted a new report to the FCU about the predicted damage patterns for the Ulysses. A probe sent to observe the Ulysses had taken photographs and gravitational measurements to discover that the Ulysses was likely to have a sizeable hollow area or gap within it. IUA Astrophysicians worked with the University of Seals Bridge to find how this would effect the Ulysses once it entered the Earth’s gravitational pull. The IUA had concluded that the asteroid would be torn into two large fragments and see that wider surfaces of the planet would be impacted the most. The International Astronomical Union announced this to the world.

The FCU and United Nations had already passed a point of no return with the STN Project and were unable to make any large revisions within its design to adjust for this new information. Stonehenge was expected to engage the Ulysses over the center of the Usean Continent within a radius of 1200-1500 km, after passing the Roche limit. This new report now stated that areas between areas enclosed by the meridian lines of 135 degrees east and 30 degrees west would be decimated by Ulysses Fragments. Stonehenge was unable to deal with all fragments in such a wide area. The FCU did not make any modifications to the Ulysses knowing that international conflict would no doubt, flare because of the offensive potential the weapon would then maintain. FCU member states had decided that they would use the STN to defend their allied nations.

Multiple nations promptly stepped forward against this decision and many groups had partaken in many demonstrations against the FCU. Nations besides the FCU did not have a single weapon that was capable of engaging the Ulysses and defending them from the Ulysses planet fall. Rather than continued dispute, nations continued to prepare for July of 1999 and the arrival of the Ulysses Asteroid.

July 3rd, 1999
On Saturday, July 3rd, 1999 at exactly 03:30pm USEA eastern standard time the Ulysses finally reached earth's vicinity. It then, unexpectedly split into more than a thousand pieces as it passed the Roche limit. Many of these Ulysses Fragments then plummeted to Earth. The World's nations did not expect this happening, but reacted quickly. Stonehenge engaged the larger fragments of the 1994XF04 Asteroid and did it's best to protect the Planet. Still, Hundreds of Asteroid fragments smashed into the Usean and Anean Continents. On the Usean Continent alone, over 500,000 people perished within the first two weeks, and damage was estimated to be the equivalent of 18 months of the total GDP for the entire continent. Some countries were spared of impact. But several other countries, including Emmeria and Estovakia, were badly hit by Ulysses fragments. A notable example of a fragment fell on the city of Farbanti. Many people there were probably killed, and thousands more were injured.

Impact Craters
When the Ulysses asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere, it broke into hundreds of pieces, raining down on the earth's surface. The majority of the fragments hit the continents of Usea and Anea. Today, there are many craters still visible.

Craters,

Usea:
Anderson Crater- Newfield Island, on the east coast of Usea

Krasinsky Crater- Mt. Shezna

unnamed crater- the Amber Ravine/Faith Park region

Goldberg Crater- Whiskey Corridor

Crater Ryker- off the coast of Farbanti, Erusea

Continental Wars and Aftermath
Countless others died over the following years due to starvation and disease linked to the devastation caused by Ulysses and the subsequent collapse of order in several areas. Over the next few years, on the Usean Continent, the Usean Refugee Dispute eventually lead to Erusea conducting hostile actions against the FCU, which included increased military movements, refusal to take in refugees from the Ulysses Planetfall, the mishandling of refugees and eventually, the occupation of Stonehenge itself. These actions then lead to the formation of the Independent State Allied Forces (ISAF) and the beginning of the Usean Continental War.

The Federal Republic of Estovakia's "Chandelier" was never completed in time for the Ulysses Planetfall. Estovakia, it's infrastructure decimated, fell into a long lasting civil war which lasted for years. It wasn't until around the year 2015 that the Estovakian Military's Generals took control within the country and established order. These "Generals" were then followed by their nation's people in hopes of the General's abilities to restore their nation. The Generals eventually lead Estovakia into total war against the nearby Republic of Emmeria, which sparked the Anean Continental War.

Space Debris Disposal
During the years after the Ulysses Planetfall, fragments of the Ulysses continued to fall onto the planet. As the Usean Continental War raged on, Stonehenge was destroyed by the Independent State Allied Forces in mid-2005.

A second facility created by Erusea, Megalith, which was completed during the Usean Continental War, was also destroyed by the end of the Usean Continental War in September of 2005. It was destroyed because of Erusean plans to use Megalith as a weapon to engage the Independent State Allied Forces (ISAF). Meaning that the only means of defense against Ulysses Asteroid and it's fragments was destroyed.

In 2008, the G8 Summit was finally held. The Summit was cancelled before, due to a terrorist attack near it's location in the permanently neutral Democratic Federation of Wellow. G8 was, later, held aboard the Osean Federation's Arkbird in earth's orbit. One of the many issues brought up by nations at G8 concerned the Ulysses Fragments. It was decided that the Akrbird, would take up the role which Stonehenge once played. A powerful Yuktobanian Anti-Space Debris High Powered Laser Unit was installed on the top of the Arkbird, while the Osean Airborne Laser Unit (ABL) on the belly of the craft was uninstalled, in order to reassure nations that the laser could not be used as an offensive weapon. Also, subversive missiles were installed on the top of the Arkbird in order to repel large fragments the Arkbird could not handle. This transformed the Osean SDI's main product, the Arkbird, into a peace maker.

Though it was not a complete solution for the Ulysses Fragments, the Arkbird successfully cleared 80% of space around the geosynchronous orbit. Because of it's success, nations around the world willingly participated in the beginning of the construction of a permanent International Space Station; a project which was sponsored by Osea and Yuktobania.

In 2010, the Arkbird was used as a weapon in the Circum-Pacific War by the Osean Federation and later commanded by Belkan Operatives. However, it was eventually destroyed. The final option for Ulysses Fragement Defense, the Federal Republic of Estovakia's "Chandelier", was still incomplete; because of the damage the nation suffered from the Ulysses and the ensuing Civil War. In 2016, it was activated by the Estovakian Military to attack the Emmerian Capital City of Gracemeria. A small degree of construction was performed on the Chandelier to bring it to operational status, but, it was soon destroyed by the Republic of Emmeria's Air Forces.

The destruction of the Chandelier marked the end of the legacy of Ulysses.