Planetagua
(planet Kepler-62e)
Planetagua is the fourth planet orbiting around the star Kepler-62, located roughly 1,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.
The planet was scored in 208 GE using the Keji Scoring Protocol and had been evaluated as having a high probability of both organic life and technological development. The persistent efforts of xenobiologist Ramya Gonzales overcame initial resistence, and in 238 GE the Peruvian government granted the research group permission to use an old HoĊavas K6 exploration vessel Intoxicado Pela Juventude (English: Youth Is Intoxication Without Wine). A crew consisting of Dr. Gonzales and five students from her university research group made the trip to Planetagua in 239 GE, and on the second day confirmed that it was inhabited by an intelligent, technologically advanced underwater civilization.
Ecosystem
Planetagua was given its name because it is a panthalassic planet: entirely covered in water. When Ramya Gonzales's team first arrived at the planet in 239 GE, they had no doubt that the planet had life. They could see mats of seaweed floating in random patterns across the surface and discoloration that suggested algae blooms. The lack of any land surface initially caused the team some concern. Dr. Gonzales later recalled in interviews that the students on the research team engaged in spirited debates during the first 12-24 hours of the visit, about how intelligence and civilization could evolve on a water world. Those debates stopped on the second day, when two of the native Planetaguans rose to the surface, assisted by their mechanical exoskeletons, to greet the visiting humans.Notability
Ramya Gonzales was born in Rio de Janeiro and a proud member of the Cruz Corporate Empire. She made a point of highlighting that this was a success specifically of Cruz in every interview, and was responsible for the popular name of the star, Urcuchillay, as well as the planet, Planetagua. The national pride she promoted in the years after first contact on Planetagua is viewed by many to be the keystone to the entire space exploration period that followed, Project Yacatecuhtli. There is some speculation that the emphasis on Cruz pride in the mission was responsible for the lack of participation of Zhongguo in this third push for space exploration, although the official reason given by the Zhongguo corporate government was, of course, that it was a decision purely based on economic assessment. The other major legacy to come out of the mission was that it launched the career of Tianli Andrade, who had been a 22 year old graduate student and the youngest member of the research team on the Intoxicado. Tianli was pursuing a dual specialization in anthropology and artificial intelligence, and made vital contributions, according to Dr. Gonzales, to the peace and productivity of the initial contact and communication with the Planetaguans. Because of his insights and handling of the social maneuvering of alien contact, and his friendly and relatable way of communicating with the public, over the next 50 years he became known as one of the founders of a new field of science: xenology, the study of intelligent aliens.Planetary Data
Planet Type
Water World
Mass (vs Earth)
3.4x
Radius (vs Earth)
1.46x
Orbital Period (Earth days)
122.38
Assessed P(life)
0.67
Assessed P(tech)
0.78
First Contact Data
Contact Year
239 GE
Contact Vehicle
Intoxicado Pela Juventude
Contact P.I.
Contact Sponsor