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Shimamori · (This post was last modified: 07-10-2021, 12:29 PM by Shimamori.)

Shimamori Masahito

LOG MESSAGE 1/10.07.828

Surface of Sigma-63-α

Two days ago, on 8th of July, 828 A.S. "Zuiryu" alongside its escorting vessels successfully returned through the wormhole from the system of Chubu, previously designated as Sigma-63. The expedition sustained no damage and/or losses, with the exception of disposable probes and drones. The piloted expedition into the system of Chubu followed the automatic exploration mission carried out by two proves, and lasted six days and seven hours. Throughout the time, the team approached all four major planetoids in the system, observed the moods of Sigma-63-δ, and made a successful planetfall on Sigma-63-β. No other piloted or automatic man-made objects were encountered throughout the course of the mission. The results of the mission corroborate the previous findings - there are no indicators of the system having been previously explored and/or claimed by other Houses and/or factions, and the system might pose further interest for the Empire.

Clouds of Sigma-63-γ

Planets Sigma-63-α and Sigma-63-γ were observed from the orbit and upper layers of the atmosphere to corroborate the results of the unmanned mission. "Zuiryu" observed Sigma-63-α from the orbit and confirmed the world to be an inhospitable barren scorched wasteland. The cannons of "Zuiryu" allowed to blast the upper layers of the crust in order to probe deeper ground layers. Except for even more Magnesium, probes revealed the presence of rich iron deposits with traces of Titanium and Potassium present in the form of Potassium-Magnesium sulfates. Further scanning of the planet for radioactive elements also revealed deposits of Uranium and Thorium, however not in large amounts. The difficulties associated with establishing and maintaining a colony planetside made the planetfall redundant as the assumptions put forth by the previous unmanned mission were corroborated. The exploitation of the commonly found elsewhere planetary resources can become viable only after a significant investment and thus should be deferred to private initiative.

Sigma-63-γ was observed from the orbit with probes launched in the upper layers of the atmosphere only. Extremely high temperatures and atmospheric pressure which could disable the probe even before reaching the ground rendered the attempts to do so inadequate. Orbital observation corroborated the previous findings indicating the planet to be hostile to any planet-side operations.

Mountains of Sigma-63-β

Sigma-63-β as the main point of interest in the system was landed on. Previous observations were confirmed - the world is habitable and can support human life. The atmospheric pressure and gravity are within the norm. The expedition to the planet landed near a mountain range close to the equator. Analysis of the atmosphere showed that the growth of the local algae and moss is not controlled by any predatory species and hence the atmosphere close to the ground is filled with myriads of spores and simple photosynthetic unicellular organisms, which might be detrimental to breathing. Additional constraint to unhindered breathing without a suit is copper dust present in all layers of the atmosphere, giving the latter the greenish tilt. Its amount vary depending on the location and altitude. On plains it is higher while near the mountains and places with more solid soil it is less. Simple testing showed that regular filters are good at clearing the air of any particles that could be detrimental to breathing without a mask. Subsequent colony development might need extensive planting of trees to confine the dust to the soil.

Algae Landscape

Additionally, the concentration of algae in the area is also lower in more cool mountainous areas. Thus, the selection of the location for the colony needs to be carefully addressed to reduce the initial concentration of dust and algae in the air, allowing to minimise the investment into the infrastructure. This would pave way to scaling up the local economy and ease its build-up. To combat the omnipresent algae in the future, the introduction of simple predatory unicellular organism shall suffice. On the top of that, the algae in their abundance can serve a valuable fertiliser for the local soil, which is yet to be proven capable of supporting agriculture. High concentration of copper in the upper layers of soil is something to be taken into account. Confining it to oxides or removing using copper-eating bacteria should we be able to genetically engineer ones can be options to tackle the issue. However, the colonisers need to be careful not to cause extreme shifts in the local ecology which might result in decreasing the habitability of the planet. Our expedition took samples of the ground in various areas and will deliver them to Honshu for further chemical analysis and testing for cultivation of crops.

Moons of Sigma-63-δ

In the end of our expedition, mapped the moons of Sigma-63-δ and landed on three of them. Two more moons were mapped in addition to the six detected previously. For the sake of brevity of this report, I will discuss all of them grouped together. All of the satellites of Sigma-63-δ are of the similar rocky nature with seemingly cold non-metal cores. The latter is assumed based on the lack of magnetosphere detected. The atmosphere is also either missing or extremely thin. Four of the moons are small in size and do no pose interest in the system development. It should be noted, that if the system is developed in the future, these small moons are the most likely candidates for pirate bases. The four larger moons can theoretically host large bases of commercial or industrial interest to support the Helium mining from Sigma-63-δ. Two of the satellites as previously reported have thick ice shields on the surface. On one of the two, the admixture of ammonia in the ice crust makes it a less likely candidate to serve as the source of water for the mining stations. However, ammonia itself can be the interest for water and air purification and a fertiliser for colonies on Sigma-63-γ and adjacent mining facilities. The ice from the other satellite with the ice crust is purer and more easily filtered into distilled water. The other two large moons with readily available surfaces can serve as supplementary mining bases for Titanium, and Nickel traced on and under the surface. Overall, our observations confirm previous conclusion that Sigma-63-δ planetary system might be of interest for commercial mining but less so for colonisation per se. The moons do not have many valuable resources, and those present are more readily available elsewhere.

Having concluded this expedition and safely returned home, I wish to express deep gratitude to the research staff of Tenmei University and Haneda Imperial University of Honshu, as well as the crew both in the employ of Shimamori clan and from other organisations who took part in this exploration endeavour and committed their skills and determination to my humble call. All of the participants are justly rewarded for their contribution. I hope, that this expedition will be of use to the Reformed Empire of Kusari and its people, and will further the idea of peaceful expansion by colonisaiton as opposed to militarism and revisionism permeating the public discourse recently.

In service to the Reformed Empire of Kusari,
Emperor's loyal servant
Koushaku Shimamori Masahito of Nakashibetsu

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