APPENDIX

GLOSSARY, CHARACTER BIOS, AND MORE!

GLOSSARY

AEI: Atmospheric Entry Interface - the stage of a spacecraft's landing sequence when it breaches the planet's atmosphere. (more info)
Amazonis Planitia: Located between the Tharsis and Elysium volcanic provinces, to the west of Olympus Mons. (more info)
Centipede: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-4 mission.
C/2033-A2: Large comet found in the deep solar system.
CNSA: China National Space Administration. (more info)
Close-Approach Launch Window: Closest point between Earth and Mars, when interplanetary launches are most ideal (more info)
ELQ:Emergency Living Quarters - a large inflatable habitat to house an entire MECTI crew in the event of emergency MMLHV evacuation.
ERV: Emergency Return Vehicle - small rockets landed remotely on the surface of Mars that can return a full MECTI crew back to Earth in case of emergency. Uses a device to convert carbon dioxide from the Martian air into a fuel for the rocket.
Eta Carinae: is a stellar systemcontaining at least two stars with a combined luminosity greater than five million times that of the Sun (more info)
EVA: Extra-vehicular activity - any activity conducted outside of a spacecraft. (more info)
Guang Han Gong-1: CNSA moonbase constructed in Shackleton Crater - the first permanent human outpost on another celestial body.
GRB: Gamma Ray Burst - immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. (more info)
Hypercone: a mechanism for atmospheric reentry deceleration proposed for use by future Mars landing missions. (more info)
Jarvis Island: Small remote island in the Pacific, where the MECTI Space Elevator's surface station is located.
Master Rover: Pressurized heavy-duty MECTI rovers used for longer-range EVA operations.
Maia Rocket:Large rocket containing an MMLHV spacecraft, a personnel abort capsule, and a fusion-propulsion system.
MEG: Mars Ecopoeisis Generator - large fusion-powered chemical power plant used for creating Earth atmosphere to be vented into the Martian air, aiding in terraforming efforts.
MECTI: Mars Exploration, Colonization and Terraforming Initiative - international space agency focused on establishing a permanent, sustainable human presence on Mars.
MECTI-1: First manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Sam Flynn.
MECTI-2: Second manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Tim Conrad.
MECTI-3: Third manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Jeffrey Spencer.
MECTI-4: Fourth manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Natasha Jackson.
MECTI Space Elevator: Massive space elevator extending from Jarvis Island in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles to an orbit station Earth orbit. Used as a cost-efficient method for transporting personnel and materials to and from orbit.
MECTI Headquarters: Massive base located in Tonopah, Nevada, USA. Central command base for MECTI operations. Features hundreds of supply depots, dozens of labs, two airfields and three launch pads.
MGN: Magnetic Guidance Network - large grid of magnets placed in Amazonis Planitia designed by MECTI-1's Walter Langston for aiding in landing supplies on Mars.
MMLHV: Mars Manned Landing and Habitation Vehicle - building-sized spacecraft used by MECTI crews for landing and habitation while permanent structures are constructed on the surface. Built to accommodate a 16-person MECTI crew.
NPTNA: North Pole Thermonuclear Array - Arrangement of over 1,100 thermonuclear explosives remotely-landed and buried 3km into the polar ice, that will melt the polar ice upon detonation, aiding in terraforming efforts. Located in Planum Boreum - the north polar plain of Mars.
Olympus Mons: a large shield volcano on Mars. The volcano has a height of over 21.9 km (13.6 miles) as measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter. Olympus Mons is about two and a half times Mount Everest's height above sea level. (more info)
Perception-1: MECTI communications spacecraft orbiting Earth's moon. Designed to detect, receive and relay PEMs to locked devices located in the quarters of every MECTI mission commander.
Perception-2: MECTI communications spacecraft set to automatically launch from Earth in the event of any communications loss with Mars. Currently located in an underground launch silo near MECTI Headquarters in Tonopah, Nevada.
Perception-3: MECTI communications spacecraft orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt. Designed to detect, receive and relay PEMs to locked devices located in the quarters of every MECTI mission commander.
PEM: Planetary Emergency Message - coded emergency message broadcast through both Perception-1 and Perception-3 spacecraft, detailing emergency events on Earth, Mars, Earth's moon, or any other planetary body currently in MECTI's purview.
Planum Australe: South polar plain on Mars. (more info)
RTG: Radioisotope thermoelectric generator. A nuclear battery generating electric power from the decay of radioactive material. RTGs are used in several real-world spacecraft and unmanned Earth-bound facilities. (more info)
Scorpion: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-3 mission.
Shackleton Crater: Impact crater in the south pole of Earth's moon. Site of the CNSA moonbase Guang Han Gong-1. (more info)
Skycrane: Mechanism used for landing spacecraft on Mars, with the main payload being gently lowered from cables attached to the device, levitated by thruster engines. (more info)
SPTNA: South Pole Thermonuclear Array - Arrangement of over 1,100 thermonuclear explosives remotely-landed and buried 3km into the polar ice, that will melt the polar ice upon detonation, aiding in terraforming efforts. Located in Planum Australe - the south polar plain of Mars.
Space Station Hercules: Massive space station orbiting Earth. MECTI's central base of operations outside of Earth's surface. Used for directing both Mars-bound and moon-bound launches. Includes training facilities for all MECTI crews. 4,000-person capacity.
Synth-O-Pal: Projected hologram toy, featuring a customizable artificial intelligence character that acts as a digital companion for children.
Tarantula: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-2 mission.
Tartarus Montes: Mountain range on Mars. (more info)
THU: Temporary Housing Unit - small temporary inflated habitat built to house no more than six people at a time. Used for long-range EVA operations.
Wasp: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-1 mission.

APPENDIX

GLOSSARY, CHARACTER BIOS, AND MORE!

GLOSSARY

AEI: Atmospheric Entry Interface - the stage of a spacecraft's landing sequence when it breaches the planet's atmosphere. (more info)

Amazonis Planitia: Located between the Tharsis and Elysium volcanic provinces, to the west of Olympus Mons. (more info)

Centipede: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-4 mission.

C/2033-A2: Large comet found in the deep solar system.

CNSA: China National Space Administration. (more info)

Close-Approach Launch Window: Closest point between Earth and Mars, when interplanetary launches are most ideal (more info)

ELQ:Emergency Living Quarters - a large inflatable habitat to house an entire MECTI crew in the event of emergency MMLHV evacuation.

ERV: Emergency Return Vehicle - small rockets landed remotely on the surface of Mars that can return a full MECTI crew back to Earth in case of emergency. Uses a device to convert carbon dioxide from the Martian air into a fuel for the rocket.

Eta Carinae: is a stellar systemcontaining at least two stars with a combined luminosity greater than five million times that of the Sun (more info)

EVA: Extra-vehicular activity - any activity conducted outside of a spacecraft. (more info)

Guang Han Gong-1: CNSA moonbase constructed in Shackleton Crater - the first permanent human outpost on another celestial body.

GRB: Gamma Ray Burst - immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. (more info)

Hypercone: a mechanism for atmospheric reentry deceleration proposed for use by future Mars landing missions. (more info)

Jarvis Island: Small remote island in the Pacific, where the MECTI Space Elevator's surface station is located.

Master Rover: Pressurized heavy-duty MECTI rovers used for longer-range EVA operations.

Maia Rocket:Large rocket containing an MMLHV spacecraft, a personnel abort capsule, and a fusion-propulsion system.

MEG: Mars Ecopoeisis Generator - large fusion-powered chemical power plant used for creating Earth atmosphere to be vented into the Martian air, aiding in terraforming efforts.

MECTI: Mars Exploration, Colonization and Terraforming Initiative - international space agency focused on establishing a permanent, sustainable human presence on Mars.

MECTI-1: First manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Sam Flynn.

MECTI-2: Second manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Tim Conrad.

MECTI-3: Third manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Jeffrey Spencer.

MECTI-4: Fourth manned mission to Mars, led by Commander Natasha Jackson.

MECTI Space Elevator: Massive space elevator extending from Jarvis Island in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles to an orbit station Earth orbit. Used as a cost-efficient method for transporting personnel and materials to and from orbit.

MECTI Headquarters: Massive base located in Tonopah, Nevada, USA. Central command base for MECTI operations. Features hundreds of supply depots, dozens of labs, two airfields and three launch pads.

MGN: Magnetic Guidance Network - large grid of magnets placed in Amazonis Planitia designed by MECTI-1's Walter Langston for aiding in landing supplies on Mars.

MMLHV: Mars Manned Landing and Habitation Vehicle - building-sized spacecraft used by MECTI crews for landing and habitation while permanent structures are constructed on the surface. Built to accommodate a 16-person MECTI crew.

NPTNA: North Pole Thermonuclear Array - Arrangement of over 1,100 thermonuclear explosives remotely-landed and buried 3km into the polar ice, that will melt the polar ice upon detonation, aiding in terraforming efforts. Located in Planum Boreum - the north polar plain of Mars.

Olympus Mons: a large shield volcano on Mars. The volcano has a height of over 21.9 km (13.6 miles) as measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter. Olympus Mons is about two and a half times Mount Everest's height above sea level. (more info)

Perception-1: MECTI communications spacecraft orbiting Earth's moon. Designed to detect, receive and relay PEMs to locked devices located in the quarters of every MECTI mission commander.

Perception-2: MECTI communications spacecraft set to automatically launch from Earth in the event of any communications loss with Mars. Currently located in an underground launch silo near MECTI Headquarters in Tonopah, Nevada.

Perception-3: MECTI communications spacecraft orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt. Designed to detect, receive and relay PEMs to locked devices located in the quarters of every MECTI mission commander.

PEM: Planetary Emergency Message - coded emergency message broadcast through both Perception-1 and Perception-3 spacecraft, detailing emergency events on Earth, Mars, Earth's moon, or any other planetary body currently in MECTI's purview.

Planum Australe: South polar plain on Mars. (more info)

RTG: Radioisotope thermoelectric generator. A nuclear battery generating electric power from the decay of radioactive material. RTGs are used in several real-world spacecraft and unmanned Earth-bound facilities. (more info)

Scorpion: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-3 mission.

Shackleton Crater: Impact crater in the south pole of Earth's moon. Site of the CNSA moonbase Guang Han Gong-1. (more info)

Skycrane: Mechanism used for landing spacecraft on Mars, with the main payload being gently lowered from cables attached to the device, levitated by thruster engines. (more info)

SPTNA: South Pole Thermonuclear Array - Arrangement of over 1,100 thermonuclear explosives remotely-landed and buried 3km into the polar ice, that will melt the polar ice upon detonation, aiding in terraforming efforts. Located in Planum Australe - the south polar plain of Mars.

Space Station Hercules: Massive space station orbiting Earth. MECTI's central base of operations outside of Earth's surface. Used for directing both Mars-bound and moon-bound launches. Includes training facilities for all MECTI crews. 4,000-person capacity.

Synth-O-Pal: Projected hologram toy, featuring a customizable artificial intelligence character that acts as a digital companion for children.

Tarantula: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-2 mission.

Tartarus Montes: Mountain range on Mars. (more info)

THU: Temporary Housing Unit - small temporary inflated habitat built to house no more than six people at a time. Used for long-range EVA operations.

Wasp: Moniker for the MMLHV lander of the MECTI-1 mission.

MORE TO COME!

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JOHN RICHTER CREATIVE

JOHN RICHTER
CREATIVE