15 FEB 3302
Grant Academics, whose slogan is 'We Make Learning Easy', has announced a partnership with the Buckyball Racing Club to provide students with chauffeurs during the upcoming Spring Break vacation. The most talented pilots in human space will escort students from the Exigus campus to the biggest tourism hotspots in the region.
"Students will be entirely safe in the hands of these veteran pilots," said a member of the Grant Academics board of directors. "I have personally interviewed the BRC member coordinating the event. Commander Seneh is a Grant Academics alumnus and recent inductee to the Pilots Federation, and she has assured me that the BRC will closely monitor its pilots."
The BRC chauffeurs will be available from the 18th March and will return those under their care to the Exigus campus no later than 26th of March.
Commander JAK
Buckyball Racing Club
15 FEB 3302
Dr Arcanonn of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group has spoken out about the disappearance of Professor Ishmael Palin:
"I hope that the professor is safe, but I feel a growing sense that he is no longer with us. As was recently made public, I am currently in hiding because a credible threat to my life was received. My fear is that the dark forces that sought to end my life have intercepted Palin on his way to Maia b1ba."
"We were told that the Diamondback Explorer that made the 'high-speed pass' at Obsidian Orbital appeared to be looking for something. Could it have been looking for the professor?"
"We didn't always see eye to eye, but Professor Palin is – or was – a great scientist and he is sorely missed."
Commander Lord Zoltan
15 FEB 3302
A Federal investigation team has released the results of an official inquiry into the destruction of Starship One. The 600,000-word report confirms that the abnormal energy signature detected just before the ship made its last jump was almost certainly caused by mechanical failure. The report goes on to assert that the failure began with a power surge in the ship's central power plant – a relatively common occurrence in a high-capacity hydrogen reactor – which overloaded several other core systems.
Despite examining every piece of available evidence, investigators could not find any proof that the ship was sabotaged. They ultimately concluded that the ship's destruction was the result of a complex, multi-stage engine failure.
15 FEB 3302
In this weekly digest, the latest GalNet data is compiled to show the economic state of a short list of minor factions and the star systems they inhabit.
Here are 10 of the 12,144 minor factions currently enjoying an economic boom:
Coalition of Darahk
Lhou Xuang Prison Colony
HIP 60662 Interstellar
NLTT 47967 Industries
Wakonoto Universal Limited
Lambda-1 Tucanae Citizen's Party
Llwydanane Exchange
HR 6565 Purple Natural Ltd
Progressive Party of LP 747-25
Independents of Timbarichs
When in boom, the wealth of a system is increased for the duration and all trade missions have double the effect on influence. Boom can also positively increase a minor faction's influence. Boom can be entered by consistent trade profits and completed trade contracts. Booms tend to last until they naturally expire or until some other indicator takes precedence, such as famine.
Here are 10 of the 544 factions currently experiencing economic bust:
Mahei Posse
Huokang Crimson Dynamic Co
Zaonce Jet Gang
14 i Orionis Jet Camorra
Luhman 16 First
Bhumliaurt Blue Brothers
Revolutionary Songbe Green Party
Epsilon Indi Party
Earls of Uzumeru
CU Cancri Purple Brothers
The wealth of a system diminishes while in bust and the minor faction's influence is also lessened. The effect of trade contracts and actions do not contribute to boom while a bust is active. A bust generally has to run its course before ending.
Data is correct at time of publishing.