The International Space Elevator (国際軌道エレベーター), commonly referred to as Lighthouse (灯台),[2] is a space elevator located next to Selatapura in Gunther Bay, Usea.[1] The space elevator is controlled by a public company called ISEV[2] and defended by multiple Arsenal Bird aerial warships.[3]
Lighthouse was designed as a collaborative effort between the Osean Federation and multiple Usean countries. The structure's primary objective is to transmit solar energy collected in the atmosphere and distribute it to power plants on Earth. This energy is used to help Usea's reconstruction following the damage from Ulysses 1994XF04's impact that still plagues the continent.[2]
In 2019, the Kingdom of Erusea captured Lighthouse and declared war on Osea, believing that Osea aimed to use Lighthouse to take control of the Usean continent.[2]
Design
The International Space Elevator reaches 100,000 km (~62,137 miles) into the sky.[3] Satellites with solar panels in geosynchronous orbit collect solar energy and convert it into microwaves. These satellites then transmit microwaves to the space elevator, which sends the microwaves to the surface of Earth. Power facilities at the base of the space elevator then distribute the collected energy to Usean countries.[2]
The structure is connected to Selatapura by a long bridge, and surrounded by small islands.
History
Ulysses impact
Ulysses 1994XF04 caused massive damage to Usea after its planetfall in July 1999, killing over half a million civilians and turning countless others into refugees in only two weeks.[4][5] Usea's infrastructure was severely affected, especially Erusea's; the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs said in 2003 that "our land suffered the most damage and chaos of the entire continent."[6] The ensuing refugee crisis led to the 2003–2005 Continental War, further ravaging the continent.[7]
In 2008, Osea invited the Federation of Central Usea and Erusea's new provisional government to the G7 Summit on the Arkbird. Among other topics, representatives from these and other countries discussed solutions to Usea's ongoing refugee crisis and remaining damage from Ulysses. They reached an agreement to collaborate on these issues, and the Federation of Central Usea even announced its participation in Osea's international space station project.[8]
Proposal and construction
By the mid-2010s, Usea's infrastructure still hadn't recovered from the Ulysses impacts. To solve the issue, Osea offered to jointly develop a space elevator in the continent. As a leader in space development, Osea would cover the initial investment costs and supply the technology to build the structure. Its solar power production would provide much-needed energy to help reconstruction efforts across the continent. The Usean countries welcomed the proposal and began to build the space elevator in Gunther Bay. Construction officially began in 2011; at the time, it was the largest joint international project since the Ulysses impact.[2]
Lighthouse War
Speculation arose in some political circles that Osea was aiming to use the space elevator to take control of the Usean continent. Erusea's officials in particular harbored animosity towards Osea.[2]
In 2019, a terrorist attack took place in Osea performed by unmanned drones. Erusea simultaneously occupied Lighthouse and its surrounding facilities. The country officially declared war on Osea, aiming to fight Osea's excessive interference and resource monopoly in Usea.[2]
Gallery
An unnamed female astronaut overlooking the clouds from an ISEV platform
An F-22A Raptor and an Su-30M flying near the ISEV
An F-22A Raptor and the FAS flying near the ISEV
An F-22A Raptor and an F/A-18F Super Hornet flying near the ISEV
Trivia
- The International Space Elevator is the tallest structure in the series, surpassing the Gaiuss Tower in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
- Erusea's fear of Osea taking over Usea with the space elevator mirrors similar concerns over the Spring Sea Treaty that led to the Usean coup d'état.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 File:Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown - E3 2017 Trailer.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "「エースコンバット7」,ストーリーの導入部や最新スクリーンショットなどが公開。UGSFシリーズとの関連も明らかに" ["Ace Combat 7 story introduction and latest screenshots have been released. A clear connection to UGSF"]. 4gamer.net. Published on 21 June 2018. Retrieved on 21 June 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 『エースコンバット7』開発陣インタビュー完全版! 「3つの軸を追求します」. Famitsu. Published December 17, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ↑ Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies - Perfect Guide, page 007.
- ↑ World / Asteroid Ulysses Enters the Atmosphere, AC04Web. Published 2001. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ↑ War?
- ↑ Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Arkbird Declaration: Summit 2008.