Kalistan

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New Space and Test Center to be founded at Spencer
Sleepy Suldanor village selected to become the center of Kalistani Space Program
Spencer, Duchy of Suldanor
March 18, 5561


Spencer, Suldanor is a sleepy oceanside village suitable for "long walks on the beach"

The village of Spencer, Suldanor, population 9,500 has been selected as the site of the new Imperial Space and Communications Agency (ISCA) headquarters.  Nearby Point Spencer, a wild stretch of sand dunes and low coastal hills will become the site of the new Spencer Space and Test Center.  All of this was put forth in a new bill in the National Assembly.  The Space and Test center will contain rocket launch facilities, mission and launch control, rocket fabrication and assembly facilities, and a visitor center where visitors will be able to watch rocket launches.  The launch facility will be about 20 miles east of Spencer and the rocket launches are not expected to impact quality of life in Spencer.

"The residents of Spencer will likely hear something, if the wind is onshore at the time of launch," said program specialist Frank Jung.  "At that distance though, it will only be between 95 and 110 decibels, which is lower than a civilian passenger jet.  We also will be looking into water suppression systems that will further reduce the noise at ground level, where it will be most noticeable.  But the advantage of Point Spencer is that it is both remote, and also close enough to the major industrial centers in Sulari to be practical."

When determining the location of the site for the new Space and Test Center, weather and geology were also a factor.  "We initially considered Ananto, but quickly nixed that plan," said Jung.  "The weather on the Island is such that we simply wouldn't have clear days to launch in over half the year.  Additionally, the Island is prone to fits of seismic activity, which would frustrate launch efforts.  Suldanor, on the other hand, has excellent weather, and Point Spencer itself has more than 320 days a year of sun for more than 50% of the daytime hours on average.  Additionally, the average high in winter is a comfortable 65 degrees, while the average high in the summer is a very nice 80 degrees, suggesting perfect weather for rocket launches all year round.  Point Spencer is the ideal site."  Other rejected sites include Yoshimi, Frontera, and a spot north of Dana.

Spencer isn't usually marked on maps, because it is so small, but it is about to become very important

The construction of the Space and Flight Center is expected to cost ₭450 Million over the next three years.  The program will receive budgetary support under Ministries of Science and Technology, who will oversee ISCA, and Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, who will be offering grants to expand housing and infrastructure in Spencer to accommodate the expected 9500 permanent personnel who will ultimately work at the Space and Test Center.  "Such an influx of people will certainly double the size of the town, and will put strains on the existing services," said Jung.  "But there will be more than a half a billion dollars in grants available to help expand the housing stock over the next few years, as well as the infrastructure and local commercial and public services.  It will be a massive project that will bring a lot of economic changes to the sleepy village, but once we get through the growing pains, I imagine that Spencer will be a net beneficiary of increased tourism and economic activity, and could become a very important town in Suldanor.