Rising Rays of the New Century: Tale of the Japanese Empire

Part 3.5: The Space Frontier

Pioneer of the Great Space Frontier

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"Let's go to Space!"

The year is 2125. Sixty years have passed since the colonization of the moon began in 2085, and finally, the Space Frontier Era has begun. Disenchanted with the deteriorating security on Earth, a large number of immigrants have embarked on a journey to space. The Japanese government aimed to make approximately half of the world's population, 4 billion people, into space immigrants. Furthermore, the International Federation also agreed with Japan's space immigration policy as a means to reduce the Earth's population. Space exploration has now become a global endeavor. In exchange for the IF's cooperation with the Japanese government, Japan partially lifted its secrecy and control over the 28th-century technology it had been withholding.

Under the IF, the Space Development Organization was established, receiving investments from all over the world. The development of the moon and Mars has been progressing steadily. Leading the efforts within the Space Development Organization is Japan's Ministry of Space Development. Through a secret agreement between the IF and the Japanese government, the majority of the personnel within the Space Development Organization are Japanese, effectively making it a de facto 'IF branch of the Japanese Ministry of Space Development.'

And now, under the grand promotion by the International Federation, people who are not eligible to immigrate to Japan, disenchanted with the deteriorating security on Earth, are clutching one-way tickets to space and departing for space one after another in Japanese-made spacefaring vessels.

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Fourth Planet of the Sol System: Mars

Capital City Suiryu

The "Super Short-Term Terraforming Plan," led by Japan's Ministry of Space Development since 2090, has brought about a dramatic transformation in the environment of Mars. Modified plants created using 28th-century technology thrive sporadically across vast stretches of land. In the future of the 28th century, genetically modified plants called 'Midori Sakura,' developed from algae and kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) for planetary terraforming, possess the ability to proliferate like bacteria and fungi, as well as extend roots like kudzu, even in poor soil conditions. As long as there is carbon dioxide, trace elements, and sunlight, they can multiply and generate oxygen. While it would be risky and challenging to plant them on Earth, the frozen seeds were released from the space battleship Fusō and scattered across the Martian surface in 2090. In less than 30 years, they swiftly covered 3% of the Martian surface. The expansion continued, transforming the Martian atmosphere.

Regions densely populated with Midori Sakura are covered by enormous domes, where the atmospheric composition and pressure are maintained, resembling those of Earth. The heat emitted from the imported fusion reactors sustains the temperature. Within the approximately 4-kilometer-wide dome, magnificent cities have emerged. Atop the buildings within the dome, the Rising Sun and the International Federation flag flew. The arid Martian landscape is rapidly being assembled with construction materials imported from Earth, progressing the construction of the capital city of Mars in accordance with the "Mars Million City Plan."

This Martian city is named "Suiryu." The dome's atmospheric pressure is set at approximately 0,95 atmospheres and the temperature at 15 degrees Celsius, with oxygen and nitrogen concentrations similar to those on Earth. People can move about without wearing space suits. Furthermore, at the Lagrange point, a magnetic field generator that produces artificial geomagnetism is installed to protect against intense solar winds.