Noteworthy Locations
Cape Canaveral, Florida - "A launch facility that never was..."
In 1948, the United States Navy transferred its former Naval Air Station to the United States Air Force. In World War II, this location served as a staging area for patrolling seaplanes. Landing strips had been constructed but proved largely unusable due to near-constant flooding in the area. In 1950, work began to build the Cape's first access road in an effort to establish a usable missile test facility. Progress was slow, but effective; in January of 1951 the site would see active operation for the first time. The Astral Foundation soon after would build and operate a VHF/UHF communications hub here, but decline to conduct any missile testing of their own from the location. Flooding would guarantee to cause major delays and possible facility damages, as the United States Air Force can testify.
Brownsville, Texas - "Every daring venture needs a solid foundation"
In 1950, a missile test facility and landing strip began construction on Brazos Island, Texas. This site would see contract work for the United States AirForce starting the following year, leading to rapidly increased production of infrastructure and activity in the area. Just East of Brownsville, this facility would quickly become the primary foundation for spaceflight in the United States; from sounding missiles to the biggest most capable launch vehicles the Foundation has ever developed. The balance between quickly becoming a tourist trap for space enthusiasts and keeping ongoing top-secret programs on the down low is a delicate one.
Wallops, Virginia - "Though small, still no less important"
After WWII, a test facility was built off the coast of Virginia with the purpose of conducting high-speed aerodynamic research via wind tunnels to solve the many problems ever-advancing flight brings to the table. In late April 1954, the Foundation establishes a secondary Launch Facility initially to facilitate sounding rocket launches while Texas focused on much larger projects. This eventually grew to the launching of micro-satellites through the late 50's leading to its first major facility upgrade to allow for contract work in 1962. Now, much more capable vehicles are able to be launched here - though infrastructure leads to slower development and integration compared to Brownsville.
