Royal Cryrian Space Agency

Royal Cryrian Space Agency

Abbreviation	RCSA
Type	Space Agency
Purpose	Military and Commercial
Location	Prince Stefan Airbase
Region	Cryria
Chairman	Casper Oslund
Parent organization	Royal Cryrian Air Force

The Royal Cryrian Space Agency (RCSA) is a governmental body under the Royal Cryrian Air Force which coordinates all military and commercial space activities for the Kingdom.

The Agency was founded in 1970 when the Cryrian Defense Forces voluntarily dismantled their ballistic missile program and repurposed the technology for satellite launch purposes. The RCSA makes Cryria one of the smallest countries in the world with an independent space program and indigenous launch capabilities, a limitation which has extensively shaped the RCSA's operations and activities. For instance, while the RCSA is active in Urth's orbit, it has yet to conduct an independent manned mission, or to place objects on other celestial bodies.

History

Cryrian interest in space exploration dates back to the 1950s, and was initially largely academic in nature. Beginning in the 1960s, the Cryrian Defense Forces began funding research in order to support a national ballistic missile program. These efforts came to a halt when the country opted to maintain a policy of nuclear latency as opposed to pursuing an arsenal of its own. As the missile technology of the time was deemed inadequate for delivering conventional warheads, the ballistic missile program was also scrapped in 1970. At the advice of faculty at the University of Vesterholm, the technology, funding, and launch sites were instead invested towards developing a genuine space program as an autonomous branch under the umbrella of the RCRAF.

The RCSA was initially limited in scope and support, but witnessed renewed interest in the 1980s as developing satellite technology offered considerable economic and security benefits. The RCRSA conducted its first successful independent orbital launch in 1988. Since then it has become increasingly important in both the military and commercial field as its satellites offer a wide range of observation, communication, and navigation services. In the 21st century, the RCSA has regularly partnered with both academic institutions and private industry to continue developing its orbital presence and to facilitate the utilization of space by Cryrian institutions.

Space Debris Crisis

Like the rest of the world's space programs, the RCSA was subjected to a three-year moratorium when a botched Vakari launch resulted in the Space Debris Crisis. During this period, much of the RCSA's annual budget was temporarily reallocated towards keeping private space enterprises afloat during the dry period. This was particularly important for the continued solvency of Ocean's Arrow.

Launch Capabilities

Ocean's Arrow

Ocean's Arrow is a company founded in 1995 to provide orbital launch services. The Tarva-based corporation is partly owned by the Cryrian government, and distinguishes itself by using a mobile maritime launch platform to facilitate equatorial launches for countries and entities that otherwise lacked access to sites in that region.