Forty Suns

Charter

Why A Charter?

Because it makes sense to have one. This Charter will outline the Forty Suns project.

First, the name.

The name Forty Suns is a nod to the fact that our sun is but one of uncountable billions, and among those suns are worlds upon worlds. Worlds we could one day reach and colonize.

Forty is an arbitrary number.

Reaching one new sun or forty is a worthy first goal. One that should keep us busy for some time.

• Inception of Forty Suns: 2023
• Official Launch: 2024
• In many ways this could be considered “Phase One”, or even “World One”, as it begins with Earth, using the above calendar years.
• All references at this Phase are as above.
• Forty Suns’ near-term objective is humans living portions of their lives at locations within our solar system that are not Earth.
• Forty Suns’ mid-term objective is humans being born and living their entire lives at locations within our solar system that are not Earth.
• Forty Suns’ long-term objective is humans living on worlds outside our solar system.

Forty Suns’ ultimate objective is a human presence in 40 unique star systems.

At that point a new Charter will be put forth.

Dedication

Dedicated to the continuum.

This is our playing field.

Have fun while you’re here.

Leave it better than you found it.

Don’t get too serious.

Approach

As in our Dedication, Forty Suns will approach all efforts with a sense of play.

Forty Suns is engaged yet humorous, built on a bedrock of urgency.

As such Forty Suns centers itself between two extreme and diametrically opposed views, the tension of which results in positive action:

1. Nothing is serious.
2. Everything is at stake.

Project Motto

Turning the eyes of this world toward the next.

Purpose

To get people who aren't interested in space interested in space.

Uncountable resources exist for those already interested.  Forty Suns aims to get the rest of the world reaching for that same awareness. Forty Suns has as its mission to inspire the world to seek greater understanding.

Those already interested in space will find us a gateway, leading to the resources that will take them there.

Those not yet interested will discover the same gateway, become intrigued, and step through.

Near Goal

If a billion of us truly paid attention – with interest – to what’s already going on in the pursuit of space (and there’s a lot happening), a million of us might get active and get involved.

That would be a major difference-maker.

With such attention and such involvement, our extraplanetary future would quickly become real.

Our first-stage Goal is therefore:

• 1 billion new fans of space
• 1 million newly active in the pursuit of space

Mission Statements

Part 1

To unite the focus of humanity toward common extraplanetary goals that create an ever-improving future, by building upon the things we hold in common despite the things we hold different.

Part 2

To maintain focus on these pursuits, to ensure they do not slip, that they are not forgotten, that they remain at the forefront of our collective minds.

Assertions

• Forty Suns, and other entry-points like it, is the tip of the spear.
• Forty Suns provides a gateway to the vast resources on space already available.
• Space must become humanity's priority.
• Help is possible.
• The wrong thing to do is nothing.
• Protecting this planet is good.
• Understanding more of the world around us = good.
• Expanding our reach to other worlds = good.
• Space is the answer.

Endgame

A world informed of, interested in, and actively supporting all things space.

Vision

Forty Suns is founded on a formula:

Awareness + Interest = Change

The Forty Suns vision, therefore, is centered around driving awareness and interest.

The first part of that involves delivering information on humanity’s progress in space, while drawing attention to elements that will be of high interest to people not yet aware of what's happening in our pursuit of the next frontier.

Visibility is the other – and largest – part; the objective being the firm association of the Forty Suns name and logo with a simple conclusion:

“Space is the answer.”

That vision, properly achieved, will mean anyone seeing the Forty Suns logo or hearing that name will immediately associate the source with shared goals; specifically, a belief in our collective space future.

Forty Suns will become a symbol of unified purpose.

The Forty Suns vision is worldwide recognition, leading to positive change.

Demographics

Our demographic is humanity.

That may at first sound smug, but it’s the reality of this project’s existence. Done right, Forty Suns will help drive humanity to the stars.

The stars are a far-off, way-high goal.

Many, many, many (did we say many?) things must be done, a thousand milestones achieved, before that goal is even close to being achieved.

Yet we must, and we will, achieve it.

The question is only, as always, how quickly.

That said, and to distill things down to specifics relevant to this world, this day, this age, Forty Suns will shoot for the attention of the younger generations of our world; in particular those that may not yet be paying close attention to space.

These are the ones that will change the world, for better and for good.

These are the ones that have within them the energy, and the ability, to throw their effective support behind the generations ahead of them getting things done.

These are the ones for whom heightened space awareness is imperative.

The Forty Suns approach, therefore, is aimed mostly at them: Those in the first third or so of their adult lives. They are the fulcrum.

In concert with that, Forty Suns is meant to bolster and inspire the humans of this world of any age.

Founding Precedent

Space, real space, does not yet have a large degree of truly pop-culture representation. It lacks an easy way to engage with the reality of the next frontier, one that’s accessible at every level of interest within society.

A vast majority of us have little to no awareness of the fantastic -- and yet very real -- things happening in the pursuit of space.

Yet a vast majority of us are keenly interested in fantastic things.

9 in 10 of us can name a Marvel super hero. Maybe 10 in 10.

The same 9 in 10 could probably not name a modern astronaut.

If our fiction becomes our reality, tapping into that limitless imagination -- making the astronaut as popular as the super hero -- is the broadest possible reach we can make in order to strengthen the foundation of our space future.

Our founding precedent, therefore, is to tap into the tremendous global interest in fantastic fiction.

We will take advantage of this by using elements of fantastic/fun fiction to draw attention and interest to the incredible realities of our world.

Tiers (Not Tears) Of Change

Our expected tiers of change could be summarized as awareness points of view.

A person would fall somewhere on this rising scale of awareness:

• Space exists.
• A space industry exists.
• There are a lot of things happening in the space industry.
• Space is hard.
• Space is expensive.
• Space is a big undertaking, but probably worth it.
• There are currently more people of the opinion that we can't do X (fill in your choice of difficult space-based challenge) than there are people of the opinion that we can do X.
• I want to count myself among the can-do people.
• I am a can-do person.
• Space is important, therefore I support those making the effort, and encourage those resisting the pursuit of space to become supportive.
• Space is vital to our future and I actively do what I can to further it, whether by raising awareness or direct involvement.
• I am a major player in the space industry.
• No matter the question, space is the answer.

Forty Suns exists to move everyone toward higher points on the scale.

The Intended Epiphany

The light-bulb moment; the eureka; the "Ah ha!" with eyes cast to the sky; an undeniable, remarkable, stunning realization; the sudden impulse to shout:

"Space is the answer!"

That's what we're going for.

The Premise On Which We Advance

The future is now.