Oolite timeline

This Oolite timeline is based on Selezen's excellent work, made available under Creative Commons. The first part has been taken from Frontier timeline. Done by Zireael (2013). Cholmondeley added the Purist version in 2021, wrested from Cim's Ship's Manual.

For an analysis of the competing versions, see Lore and History

Syncretist Timeline

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 Message from first interstellar probe to Alpha Centauri system arrives to Earth. 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. Enormous production effort to produce ships, and mass exodus started.

2170s First attempt to terraform Mars started.

2180s Life on Delta Pavonis 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 terraform 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. The first Space Dredgers are built as a means of providing heavy industrial capability on the front lines of the war.

2340s Continuing battles between Federation and Empire.

2350s Sirius corporation founded, grows rich supplying the war fleets.

2380s Treaty signed between Empire and Federation. The Cold War begins

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Before 2500 Lakon Spaceways MC15 transporter enters service. Original prototype is known to have been built in Mars orbitspace (in the Sol system).

Circa 2500 Declining political relations prompt the Far Colonies (or Old Worlds, as the inhabitants of the area have christened their sector of space) to declare independence from the Galactic Empire. Ties with the Galactic Federation and the Duval Empire are officially severed. Far Colonies ships and personnel are declared persona non-grata and open hostilities greet any trespassers. Far Colony navigation systems are set not to show any worlds of either Federation of Empire on star charts, and all relevant locations are locked out of hyperdrive guidance systems

2545 Discovery of stable wormhole leading to what is thought to be another galaxy. The next five years see the discovery of a network of stable wormholes joining a total of eight galaxies together.

2573 The first colonisation fleets are dispatched to survey and populate the newly found galaxies

2589 Astronomical study reveals that the galaxies are, in fact, located in our own galaxy, spread across three different spiral arms, including the Perseus Arm. The name ‘galaxies’ sticks, however.

2627 First manufacture of IGH unit, allowing creation of a hyperspace branch to the stable wormhole from any area of the currently occupied galaxy. The IGH unit is too large to fit to small vessels, and is only fitted to larger colonisation and exploration vessels.

2663 Xexor Industries successfully test the first IGH unit small enough to fit on any hyperspace capable vessel. Despite the extortionate cost and mediocre safety margin of the unit, Xexor Industries receive over a hundred thousand advance orders in the week following the announcement of the test’s success.

2696 Passing of Galactic Co-operative of Worlds Charter. The Far Colonies become the Galactic Co-operative Of Worlds. This body is designed to hold jurisdiction over activities within the spacelanes of the eight galactic sectors, but will have no rule over the individual member worlds.

2700 Whatt and Pritney Python enters service. The Python is the first of the modular construction design vessels, specifically designed for ease of manufacture and longevity of design.

2715 A report proposing a ratified trading system within GalCop is published.

2741 Formation of a unified police force under GalCop jurisdiction. The mandate for this organisation is a standardised force to be present in each GalCop member system to help control illegal trade and pirate activities.

2752 GASEC, based on Vetitice, complete the first functional Coriolis station in orbit around Lave.

2762 Faulcon Manspace Viper (Oolite) enters service.

2845 Kroweki & Carr's ‘PsychoHistory and Economic Theory in the GalFederation’ published

2849 First contact with Thargoid vessels. Intermittent contact with lone vessels becomes common through the following year. GalCop Federal Law Centres record a great many attacks on these strange octagonal ships – on occasion with no provocation from the Thargoid party. Victories against the alien vessels are few.

2851 First recorded Thargoid invasion of a system. War is declared, and the Galactic Navy is mobilised.

2852 Ace & Faber Gecko enters service

2855 Paynou, Prossett and Salem Cobra Mk I enters service, introducing revolutionary Prossett drive

2856 RimLiner Galactic Anaconda enters service. Saud-Kruger Orbit Shuttle enters service.

2870-75 Thargoid war settles into a collection of war zones and frontiers. This situation would remain more or less unchanged in GalCop space for the next 300 years.

2878 GalCop Workshops Asp Mk II enters service

2914 Outworld Workshops Adder enters service

2982 Onrira Orbital / Spalder and Starblaze Sidewinder enters service.

2987 Prototype Lance & Ferman homing missile successfully tested during Ineran Wars

2990 Emperor Duval attempts to negotiate personal truce with Thargoids. Federation officials are also rumoured to be carrying out similar missions.

3017 Gerege Federation Workshops Boa enters service

3027 Faulcon deLacy Krait enters service.

3028 Marine Trench Company Moray Star Boat enters service

3100 Cowell & MgRath Cobra Mk III enters service. Zorgon Petterson Group Fer-de-Lance enters service

3101 Worm (Oolite) class landing craft enters service – multiple manufacturers.

3105 Peter Jameson born on Lave (conjectural, assumes Jameson qualifies at age 20).

3110 Sector1/Reorte Ship Federation Mamba (Oolite) enters service.

3115 Elite combateer Jason Ryder killed by pirate attack.

3122 Upgrades to hyperspace systems and shipboard computer controls are completed – Faraway jump system is no longer required, and the systems are retired.

3124 Trantor House publish Jane's Galactic Ships and Remote Colonial Construction, 5th Edition. Publishing code is 3205. (The 3205 number mentioned can’t be a date, as Elite is set before Frontier, and Frontier starts in 3200).

3125 Commander Peter Jameson begins career as space trader. (start of the original Elite game)

3130 GalCop begins a programme of retrofitting some out of date space faring equipment to older vessels. At the same time, satellite and comms buoys are upgraded.

3134 Modern Galactic Mean Time is established.

3136 By the start of this year, records show that nearly all active space vessels have been upgraded. Modifications include higher resolution viewscreens and console displays, more efficient shied generators and energy units and enhanced comms systems, including HoloFac upgrades.

The GCW Transit Authority finally respond to nearly a decade of petitioning by pilots and install docking approach beacons for all space stations. These allow new pilots to easily line their ships up for docking. In the first few months of service, these beacons reduce docking accidents by 32%.

3137 By the start of this year, GalCop has embarked on a programme of upgrading and enhancing all systems.

GASEC unveils a new space station design – the Icosahedral station, or Ico.

The Aegidian SpaceWorks company releases three new ships onto the market. This company is a small, independent workshop that makes ships on contract. Their popularity spawns many ‘garage’ spacecraft hull manufacturers in GalCop territory, each working on a contractual basis. This sort of operation is banned in both the Federation and the Empire

3139 Murgh & Son become the second garage vessel manufacturer to become popular on a large scale, becoming Murgh Shipyards.

The Galactic Police begin experimenting with modified versions of the Viper cruiser.

3140 Ixian renegades begin incursions into GalCop space.

Garage manufacturers begin issuing ‘tuning’ packages for all space worthy ships. A standard ‘SuperCobra’ package is released, targeted at GCW Merchant ships, and an NG package for the Fer-de-Lance is released.

3141 GASEC reveal several radical new prototype space stations, marking a departure from the older, self-contained models. A sample of a toroid design is placed in orbit of several high-tech worlds for testing.

Following increased Thargoid activity, the Galactic Navy launch a fleet of supercarriers. The INS Behemoth is the first of these, being launched in February 3141. The Treaty of Achenar forbade the manufacture of vessels of this size, and the Federation and Empire lodge protests despite GCW assurance that these vessels will only be used in Thargoid space.

3142 FCS Shipbuilders burst onto the scene with some radical new designs. They quickly become the third largest garage supplier.

The Galactic Police and Galactic Navy jointly develop an armoured transport to aid in the protection of orbitspace traffic.

3145 Thargoid incursions into Federal space increase and protests about the deployment of supercarriers are non-existent.

3147 Peter Jameson Junior, Commander Jameson's second child, is born (conjectural - assumes twenty or so years of his chosen career (one that he loved) before considering children). (Oolite starts)

3149 GalCop suffers massive losses in Thargoid attacks. Negotiations are opened with the Galactic Federation and the Duval Empire for aid in the wars. The Federation and Empire are having increasing trouble with Thargoid incursions, but not with full-scale war zones such as GalCop has seen.

3150 The Federation agree to aid GalCop and offer technology exchanges as a means to achieve the defeat of the Thargoids. Later the same year, the Empire extends a similar offer to the Federation deal. GalCop accepts.

3151 Thargoids defeated, presumed eradicated. Bioweapons are thought to have been used.

3162 GalCop’s economy begins to collapse.

3164 During this year, the stable wormhole connecting Galaxy 1 to Galaxy 2 and thence to the rest of the seven Galaxies collapses. It is thought highly likely that the collapsing was engineered. Galaxy 1 stands alone. GalCop is reduced from over 2040 worlds to less than 200. GalCop is a shadow of its former self and no longer a threat to either Federation or Empire. The Exile remains in force.

3165 It is discovered that the alien races once indigenous to the Far Colonies region of space have gone. Those worlds that had human colony areas become human worlds as the colonies spread out. Those that did not now stand abandoned. It is surmised that they departed for Galaxy 2, somehow managing to find a method of travelling there. Humanity stands alone once more.

3169 By now, GalCop has been further reduced by internal problems, political issues and pressures from the larger and more ruthless Federation and Empire. Many worlds leave GalCop and ally themselves with one of the other organisations. Some world governments decide to become independent. Some colonies leave their worlds and make for new homes within Federation or Imperial space.

3170 Since GalCop as a political entity no longer exists, both Federation and Empire lift the exile on GalCop worlds. A fine of 75,000 credits remains to be paid by any native of the 11 ‘Old Worlds’ centred on Lave who wishes to dock at a spaceport in either organisation. These eleven systems maintain tight relations, forming an unofficial trade and protection alliance – much like the original alliance that grew into GalCop.

3174 The Galactic Co-operative of Worlds president officially rescinds the GCW charter on the 19th August. The resources of the organisation (such as the Navy and Police forces) are auctioned to the Federation.

3177 Peter Jameson Jr has a son - this son will be 23 in 3200, and will inherit an Eagle class ship from his grandfather along with the rest of his siblings and cousins (conjectural, based on supposition for Jameson generations).

3199 Commander Peter Jameson dies, leaving vessels and space flight licences to his grandchildren, set to begin at the start of the next year.

Note by Selezen

This timeline is gradually being rendered obsolete by the continuing evolution of the Elite: Dangerous back-story. I will leave it in place for historical reasons, and for those who wish to continue the "legacy" of original Elite for their own fan fiction or other projects. I will likely develop a new timeline that will retain continuity for the upcoming game.

Note on the Note

Selezen wrote the note when there was still hope that the E:D designers wished to maintain a historical link between Elite - Frontier - FFE - E:D. This hope has since been scuppered!

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Purist Timeline

2,084,004 Kilo Days is 5709.6 years

KD			Year -	        Year +	        Event
 0			 5709		0		Birds & Frogs communicate (both in Galaxy 6)
~500			~4340	       ~1370	        Humans (outside The Eight) develop witchspace drive, the other species follow in turn
 814			 3478		2230		Birds & Frogs first meet
 830			 3436		2273		Humans enter Tezaeded (Galaxy 2)
 920			 3189		2520		Human link system moves away
 930			 3161		2548		Ineran researchers (Lizards) discover the Octagon
 1020			 2914		2795		Computerised probe sent around the Octagon
 1085			 2736		2973		Transgalactic colonization commences
 1117			 2649		3060		War between Felines of the new Ataneris colony & the indigenous Insects of Galaxy 7. 
 1134 		         2602		3107		United Species Treaty - Interspecies Assembly
 1389			 1912		3797		Humanoids & Colonials gain representation on Assembly
 1450			 1736		3973		500 systems colonized. Interspecies veto axed
 1522			 1539		4170		Galactic Cooperative Treaty (GalCop)
 1600			 1325		4384		Start of Golden Age
 1886			 542		5167		Final Colony (Oresrati - Galaxy 8, no witchspace routes)
 1968			 317		5392		First Thargoid scouts?
 1976			 295		5414		End of Golden Age, first Thargoids confirmed
 2054			 82		5627		Thargoid invasion
 2058			 71		5638		GalCop allows weapons on civilian ships
 2062			 60		5649		Elite Federation of Pilots formed
 2067			 46		5663		EFP recognised by GalCop
 2079			 13		5696		Thargoid 2nd Invasion
 2080			 10		5699		Commander Jameson becomes first Elite pilot
 2082			 5		5704		Battle of Inera (Jameson dies)
 2083			 3		5706		Battle of Isxees, defeat of Thargoids, GalCop hamstrung
 2084			 0		5709		today

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Some notes on the above

As adumbrated at length in Lore & History, the Syncretists wish to fit Elite and Oolite together with the histories from Frontier and FFE. The Purists have little interest in the Frontier family of games (with the Empire and the Federation), but wish to explain why the population is so large - and why the systems in The Eight are so evenly populated. This takes time - more time than allowed for with a date of 3147, less than 1,200 years from now. Hence the two contrasting timelines.