21st Century

2023
A cross dimensional event is observed for 1 ten thousandth of a second in a cyclotron

2025
Hydrogen fusion motor perfected

2030
Mars experimental base established

2033
Lunar Steel® sets up first plant

2040
Lunar City a boom town

2042
Ganymede base established

2043
Io settled

2047
Asteroid mining turns Mars and Ganymede into boom towns

2050
Mathematical principles of dimensional drive published

2053
First dimensional ship built. Explodes on take off

2054
Second dimensional ship launched. Disappears from view as dimensional drive engaged.

2057
Pluto outpost established for dimensional testing

2065
First successful dimensional flight across orbit of Pluto. Flight lasts four days and involves one dimensional jump

2065
Second successful dimensional flight across orbit of Pluto. Flight lasts three days and involves one dimensional jump.

2066
“Star flight drive impossible for the forseeable future”

2067
Weidehof’s announcement of principles of observer-acceleration-dilation, quickly renamed by press “anti-gravity motor”.

2070
Famous OAD demonstration involving Eiffel Tower and a mouse

2071
Nobel prize for Weidehof

2073
First working OAD motor lifts a car one metre above the ground

2074
OAD incorporated in a prototype aircraft landing gear

2075
First production OAD groundcar

2081
OAD applied to an unstable aircraft form gives complete freedom of movement to pilot.

2082
High acceleration system fighter unveiled using OAD technology

2083
Mandelson proposes the 16 split 308 hour flight to the orbit of Sirius, using OAD technology to reach half the speed of light

2084
Wetchford publishes the navigational calculations for such a flight

2085
Greater Zaire announces its commitment to reach Sirius by the end of the century

2086
Greenland announces intention of beating Zaire to Sirius

2091
Mars base announces completion of a Mandelson-Wetchford ship

2093
The Stirling riots.
Mars declares independence from Earth Consortium
Major mobilisation of OAD ships
The Beirut conference
The Luna conference
Mars granted limited autonomy for fifty years, to be followed by a plebiscite

2096
First flight to Sirius by Mars ship
First flight to Sirius by Greenland ship
Zaire put a ship into orbit around Sirius III

2097
Mandelson and Wetchford receive Nobel prize

2100
Series of scouting missions to Sirius, Barnard’s Star, Proxima Centauri by Mars, Zaire, Greenland, Brazil, Syria