6th January, 2003 - Today saw the launching of the Leif Ericson, the first Discovery class spacecraft and the first spaceship ever constructed entirely in orbit by humankind. It is a monumental day as Captain Daniel Ruzich, commanding officer of the Leif Ericson, guides the spacecraft out of Portsmouth Orbital and embarks on a 5 year mission to chart the mineral wealth of the solar system. A second ship, the Yuri Gagarin, is currently undergoing construction and will be completed 15th September, 2003.
19th January, 2003 - In a startling move the Nordine Transport Services company has petitioned the UEF for permission to operate a space-based cargo and shipping service. Nordine Transport Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amtrak, and has offered to subsidize research into more reliable spaceship drive systems and the construction of a commercial shipyard complex in orbit.
6th March, 2003 - The UEF has completed the world's first commercial spaceport, located off the eastern coast of Africa. This complex will streamline orbital logistics and commercial traffic control on Earth and has paved the way for construction of an orbital commercial shipyard which should be completed in early May.