Commonwealth Space Administraion

Commonwealth Space Administration
Logo of Commonwealth Space Administration Logo
Working language	Mordentish
Type	Intergovernmental organisation
Member states	Member states of the Commonwealth Space Administration Morrdh Mokastana
Leaders
• Head of the Commonwealth Space Administration	Lothwyn II
• CCA Secretary-General	Rick Jones
• CCA Chair-in-Office	George Whittleton
Establishment
• Established	23rd April 1953

The Commonwealth Space Administration (CSA) is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration and colonization of space. It was originally founded by the Commonwealth of Morrdh in 1953 to oversee and set policy for the Morridane efforts in space, but has since grown to incorporate new member nations and a number of extrasolar colonies.

History

The CSA has its genesis in the Morridane Ministry of Space, founded in 1947 to help revitalize the Commonwealth after the Great Border War against the Mokan states. In 1951 an anomaly is spotted in between the planetary orbits of Earth and Mars, it is identified as a wormhole and this leads to the founding if the CSA in 1953. The following year, 1954, the wormhole is used to found Gilbert Colony and the Royal Space Force is formed in 1953 as the Morridane space programme began to rapidly expand.

Structure

Head of the CSA

Banríona Lothwyn II is recognized as the Head of the Commonwealth Space Administration, a position that has traditionally been filled by the Morridane Monarch. However, when the monarch dies, the successor to the crown does not automatically become Head of the Commonwealth. The position is symbolic, representing the free association of independent members.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee controls the organisation; it is mainly composed of politicians and influential people from the Top Tier countries, nominated by the government of that country. The Steering Committee is the subject of a great deal of politics but is advised by the CSA Secretariat, which is essentially a civil service in the British, Canadian or Australian model.

CSA Secretariat

The CSA Secretariat, established in 1965, is the main intergovernmental agency of the CSA, facilitating consultation and co-operation among member governments and countries. It is responsible to member governments collectively. The secretariat organises CSA summits, meetings of ministers, consultative meetings and technical discussions; it assists policy development and provides policy advice, and facilitates multilateral communication among the member governments. It also provides technical assistance to help governments in the social and economic development of their countries and in support of the CSA's fundamental political values.

The secretariat is headed by the CSA Secretary-General who is elected by CSA heads of government for no more than two four-year terms. The secretary-general and two deputy secretaries-general direct the divisions of the Secretariat.

CSA Organisations

Colonial Service

The Colonial Service is mainly the Colonial Medical Service (CMS).

Commonwealth Space Forces

Royal Space Force

Main article: Royal Space Force

Haldane Institute

The Haldane Institute started in 1960 and intended to adapt earth animals and plants for use on new worlds through selective breeding. The basic concept was to produce new wheat, potato and apple strains individualized for the conditions on specific colonies. Initial attempts to grow Earth crops and livestock showed that gravity was an important environmental factor but day-length also appeared to be a determinant of growth. Research was also done on long-term radiation exposure and the accumulation of trace mineral elements. So the origins of the Institute are as an advanced agricultural research establishment.

The Institute also dealt with human adaptation to off-world life. It had been clear for some time that some people were better adapted, physically, bio-chemically and psychologically to some colonies. On Earth eugenic theorists had already been influential on this matter. By the sixties it was obvious that the children of Martian colonists would find it very difficult or impossible to return to Earth. Those born on Mars would be born Martians; thinner, taller and less muscular than standard humanity. The “Mars adapted” second generation colonists would be better adapted to life on Mars but likely to suffer bone breakages and muscle tears if they tried to live on Earth again.

Science Council

The Science Council promotes the profession of science and scientists through the Chartered Scientist designation and the development of codes of practice; it promotes awareness of the contribution of professional scientists to science and society and advances science education and increased understanding of the benefits of science.

The Science Council provides a forum for discussion and exchange of views and works to foster collaboration between member organisations and the wider science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical communities to enable inter-disciplinary contributions to science policy and the application of science.

Membership

Members of the CSA are able to contribute personnel to the authority and that means that the staff of the CSA are multinational. More influential countries are able to place their nationals in more powerful positions generally, but with a lot of negotiation and politics.

Tiers

The CSA is a multinational organisation and the CSA itself is composed of individuals from many member nations. The national membership of the CSA operates in three tiers, generally called “tables”. These denote the level of involvement and control of the member country.

Top Tier

The top table is rather like the permanent membership of the security council of the UN; it contributes all of the members of the Steering Committee. This is the power elite amongst the membership with entry requirements based on economic and military power and (very importantly) a willingness to commit those resources to group activity. To get entry to this level of influence a country has to have something to offer. The top table nations control the policy agenda of the CSA and therefore tend to invest most heavily and reap the most benefit from its activities.

This Tier grants a 75% discount on CSA related tariffs.

Members

• Morrdh
• New Garrack
• Lamoni
• Mokastana
• Coltarin
• Itailia

Second Tier

The Second Tier includes countries that are active in national and CSA colonisation, but are unable or unwilling to commit the resources required by a Top Tier member. The Middle Tier allows them to buy into some of the advantages of CSA membership without the full commitment. What they lose is the executive aspect of being a member of the Top table of the CSA. This Tier also includes the larger CSA Colonies.

Second Tier members enjoy a 50% discount on CSA tariffs.

Members

• Adelaide
• CCA Martian Colonies
• Gilbert
• Timocratic Republic

Third Tier

This is the weakest association and is not classed as full membership of the Commonwealth Colonial Authority, though it still has various benefits, mainly to do with trade, but puts the most distance between member countries. It does mean that any country in this tier could move up to second or first tier. It is equivalent to UN Observer status.

Third Tier members get a 25% discount on tariffs.

Members

• Martian Free State
• The Macabees

Criteria

New members to the CSA must abide by the following requirements:

• (a) be a fully sovereign state.
• (b) accept the Mordentish language as a means of CSA communication.
• (c) respect the wishes of the general population vis-à-vis CSA membership.
• (d) must demonstrate commitment to: democracy and democratic processes, including free and fair elections and representative legislatures; the rule of law and independence of the judiciary; good governance, including a well-trained public service and transparent public accounts; and protection of human rights, freedom of expression, and equality of opportunity.
• (e) new members should be encouraged to join the CSA Foundation, and to promote vigorous civil society and business organisations within their countries, and to foster participatory democracy through regular civil society consultations.