Timeline

This timeline, which is taken from the Frontier game manual, gives a very rough overview of mankind's history before the game is set. Frontier is set in the year 3200, and relations between the Federation and the Empire are as cool as ever. Despite being written in the early 1990s, this timeline has already been proven false. As of 2011, there has been no productive nuclear fusion (and nor is this likely any time soon), although controlled fusion has been produced since the early 1990s.

• 1950s - First man in space, controlled nuclear fission, transistor, start of the nuclear arms race.
• 1960s - First man on Moon, commercial fission power, integrated circuits, computers.
• 1970s - Probes in Solar ststem.
• 1980s - End of first nuclear arms race.
• 1990s - First serious environmental problems on Earth, controlled nuclear fusion.
• 2000s - First (minor) armed conflict between a nation and a "multi-national" corporation.
• 2010s - First serious population problems on Earth.
• 2020s - First international environmental protection enforcement agency, first commercial space station.
• 2030s - Major energy crisis, fossil fuel restrictions, religious unrest, first baby born off Earth.
• 2040s - World War III. Huge technological advancements, huge loss of life, dreadful environmental damage.
• 2050s - War gradually abandoned due to popular rebellions. Commercial fusion power.
• 2060s - Rebuilding. Dominance of corporations increased.
• 2070s - First man on Mars, first permanent Moon base.
• 2080s - Manned exploration of solar system, orbital cities around Earth, first interstellar probes launched.
• 2090s - First permanent Mars base, heavy industry on Moon.
• 2100s - Discovery of fossils on Mars base, "hyperspace" discovered, humans throughout solar system.
• 2110s - Arrival of message from first interstellar probe to Alpha Centauri system. First pictures taken of an extra-solar planet in the Lagrange point on the two main stars.
• 2120s - Presence of life on Tau Ceti 3 detected, first armed conflict in space over rights in the asteroid belt.
• 2130s - Hyperspace capable probes sent to all nearby systems.
• 2140s - Manned space craft sent to Tau Ceti.
• 2150s - Colony established on Tau Ceti 3. Major corporations sending first private colony ships.
• 2160s - The race for the stars. Enourmous production effort to produce ships, and mass exodus started.
• 2170s - First attempt to terra-form Mars started.
• 2180s - Life on Delta Parvonis discovered and made extinct in same year from bacteriological infection.
• 2190s - Discovery of life on Beta Hydri 4, Altair 5. Human colonials spreading out of control.
• 2200s - Earth environmental recovery program started, terraforming of Mars abandoned.
• 2220s - Extinctions on Tau Ceti 3 increasing. Earth threatens to send a police force if nothing is done about it.
• 2230s - Ultimatum sent to Tau Ceti ignored.
• 2240s - First interstellar battle, formation of the Federation, founder members: Earth, Tau Ceti, Delta Pavonis, Altair, Beta Hydri.
• 2260s - Spread of Federation influence.
• 2270s - Second attempt to terra-form Mars started.
• 2280s - Discovery of first non-human relic in space. Origin still unknown in 3200.
• 2290s - First man "outside" on Mars (ie breathing unaided) on completion of terraforming.
• 2300s - Remaining indigenous life on Tau Ceti 3 preserved in special enclosures.
• 2310s - News of elimination of a reputedly sentient race on Achenar 6d by private colonists causes outrage in the Federation. Achenar refuses to join Federation, many terra-forming projects started.
• 2320s - Federation sends war fleet to Achenar. Resulting enormous space battle won by Achenar.
• 2330s - Spread of Empire from Achenar to surrounding worlds. War between Empire and Federation.
• 2340s - Continuing battles between Federation and Empire.
• 2350s - Sirus corporation founded, and grew rich supplying the war fleets.
• 2380s - Treaty signed between Empire and Federation. The Cold War begins....