Dwarven Space Agency

DSA Insignia

The Dwarven Space Agency (DSA) is a civilian launch complex that is dedicated to space exploration. If you're feeling adventurous, if you don't mind the very real chance of exploding, and if you can afford the TNT, then maybe you can fly with… the Astronaut Team.

The operations manual for the Minerva Launch Vehicle can be found on the launch procedure page.

The DSA is the world's first quad-modal port, offering connections for rail, sea, Nether, and Space.

• Via DTA Minecarts, take the magenta line from Trigonography. The magenta line becomes the gray line. The gray line terminates at SpaceWay Station, which is located on the surface of the DSA's main island.
• In the Nether, head in the direction of Trigonography. Continue past Trigonography and follow signs for “DSA.” The mundis-side portal is located on the surface near the minecart station.
• The DSA is located along the Mt. Paradox – Aransas ocean route. Follow the pumpkin trail towards Aransas until you make visual contact with the launch pad. Marker buoys will indicate the best navigable route to the harbor.
• From space, land on the planet. The marker beacon will help guide you to a safe landing. After landing, proceed to the Space Center via one of the above transportation modes.

The primitive civilizations of prehistory looked to the sun to provide them with protection and guidance. The sun rose in the north each morning, set in the south each evening, and life was good. Then one terrible, fateful day in 2011, the sun did not rise in the north. The sun rose in the east.

The world descended into chaos.

All sense of direction was lost in a dizzying spin. East became “old north,” the “new north” became a phrase not used in polite conversation, and “new west” was abbreviated as “NW,” causing even more confusion. Old maps suddenly needed to be held “gangster style,” latitudes gained attitude, and “up” became the only surface normal. The warring East and West Blockistan were further subdivided into quadrants. Farmers were put out of work as entire crops of compass roses withered and died.

The Dwarven Space Agency was created with one singular purpose: Ch1b1 will attempt to right these wrongs by blasting off into the sky and punching the sun. It won't help, but it might make him feel better.

The DSA began life in January 2015 as a crude paper sketch, which was soon expanded into an artist's conception (see right). The goal was a lofty one: create the technology needed to send a player into space… while retaining the “look and feel” of a manned space program. The latter requirement took on a life of its own: the task occupied a trained Dwarven engineer for over a year, and it was only made possible by leveraging the entire resources of a “first world” nation. Construction was largely completed in August 2016.

SpaceHab One provides temporary housing for DSA astronauts and ground crew. Since astronauts must be kept in quarantine before flight, the DSA has designed comfortable living quarters with modern facilities. The SpaceHab prepares astronauts for their journey with a final medical screening and assistance with donning their space suits. The general public is welcome to watch astronauts take their last steps on Earth from a public visitation and viewing area.

The SpaceHab can be readily identified by its spacecraft-tracking radar, which is installed on the rooftop.

The LCC is where flight controllers continuously monitor the health and safety of the launch vehicle. The workspace is spacious and offers an excellent view of the pad. A press viewing area is located on the roof.

Behind the scenes, massive computers control every aspect of the countdown. All commands which are sent to the launch vehicle originate from this location. In the event of trouble, each flight controller has the authority to hold the countdown—and has a lever with which they may do so.

The LCC is thought to be the “minimum safe distance” in the event of an early launch contingency. Thankfully, no one has ever had to test this.

The Minerva launch vehicle, and it service tower, sit atop a massive sandstone structure that is designed to contain and deflect the thunderous fury of a space launch. The launch pad is connected to the mainland via a large gravel road. A small boat dock and sea-stairs are also available.

The service tower is mated to the Minerva Launch Vehicle at four different swing arms. The first swing arm distributes liquid hydrogen to the Minerva Main Engines. The second swing arm provides access to the rocket's internal components. The third swing arm carries data connections, and the fourth arm is used for crew boarding. The service tower also houses the ground-launch sequencer, which is essential for starting the vehicle's engines.

Auxiliary controls for starting and holding the countdown are located at the tower's base. A red/green beacon indicates the state of the countdown. An evacuation slide provides for rapid crew egress in the event of an emergency.

The Minerva Launch Vehicle has been described by no one at all as “forty five meters of pure delta-vee” and, alternatively, “32 m/s² of pure magic.” Minerva is an adaptation of the Gemini Launch Vehicle used in previous missions. It retains the GLV's two-stage design and coloration. An additional two engines were added to extend the booster's lift capacity and assist the rocket in escaping the unusually strong pull of Cubeworld's gravity.

The booster was fabricated from organic, biodegradable components. This was a deliberate design choice: the booster components burn up in the atmosphere rather than land whole—potentially crushing someone's cows in the process. The Minerva space capsule, on the other hand, is made from highly advanced ceramic composites which will survive the trip into space. And back. We think.

Minerva's namesake comes from the dwindling supply of Roman deities which have not been used for manned spaceflight programs. It is, in fact, sufficiently advanced technology.

The operations manual for the Minerva Launch Vehicle can be found on the launch procedure page.

A co-located minecart station and a Nether portal provide easy access for both man and material. Transportation services are immediately adjacent to the Launch Control Center. If permission from Range Control is obtained, incoming boats may also dock at the SpaceHab One harbor. During active operations, this harbor is reserved for official astronaut and crew operations.

We up go!