Alpha Centauri Expedition (2066-2068)

The Alpha Centauri Expedition was the first effort by humans to reach another star system with a crewed, warp-capable vessel. The expedition included three ships, the SS Tempest, SS Acheron, and SS Lydia.

The expedition departed Earth orbit on June 1st, 2066 and traveled under impulse power for three days before engaging their warp drives after reaching a sufficient distance from Sol's gravity well. Beginning on June 3rd, 2066, each vessel traveled at their maximum cruising speed of warp 1.5 in 12-day intervals, periodically stopping and performing maintenance checks before resuming warp speed.

On June 24th, 2067, after 385 days of travel, all three ships arrived in the Alpha Centauri system, where they surveyed the planets and surrounding space for the following three months. On September 17th, 2067, the three ships began their return journey to the Sol System, repeating the pattern of 12-day intervals of warp travel.

On July 6th, 2068, the SS Acheron's warp drive failed and the ship was stranded in interstellar space. The Tempest remained with the stranded ship while the Lydia continued on to Earth. Once in Earth orbit, the ship was restocked with fresh supplies and equipped with a team of engineers. The Lydia then returned to her sister ships, where the engineers transferred to the Acheron and conducted repairs. All three ships returned to the Sol System on November 23rd, 2068, marking the official completion of the expedition.