This is a very basic timeline for the Ad Astra universe.

2037 first dying person Uploaded.

2042 first commercial fusion reactor.

2054 first permanently manned moon base.

2066 first asteroid mining mission completed.

2093 asteroid belt population reaches 1 million.

2104 The United Nations declares that environmental collapse on Earth is "inevitable". The UN Interstellar Colonisation Initiative is created.

2123 C-Jammer, the first interstellar colony slowboat launched. It is powered by a combination of multi-stage fusion rockets and a solar sail - illuminated by fixed lasers.

2124 first of the "water wars" launched by the Sovereign State of California.

2166 Centauri colony founded around Alpha Centauri..

2188 Procyon colony founded around Procyon A.

2198 Esperanza colony founded around Epsilon Indi.

2201 first contact with aliens. The Xa declare that Esperanza is part of the Xa Imperium.

2209 Bessel colony founded around 61 Cygni A.

2220 Hong Kong launches first human-built jump-capable starship - the C-Breaker.

2239 First Xa War. Esperanzans defeated, and accept their place in the Xa Imperium.

2239-2378 Human diaspora. Humans from Esperanza and Bessel start to push out into the Main, colonists take passage on jump ships, or hire on as labourers. Earth continues to launch slower than light colony ships, this time to much further destinations. Jump ships from Earth remain limited to the Core worlds.

• 2254 Earth receives first shipment of antimatter from Esperanza. Antimatter-powered ship enable the flow of colonists and industrial goods from Earth to vastly increase. Esperanza colony grows rapidly.
• 2271 Colonists from Bessel settle on Weg.
• 2294 Earth Union declares environmental catastrophe averted, thanks to "unlimited" power from antimatter.
• 2345 New Puritans exterminate last batwing alien on Esperanza.
• 2375 Weg rebels against the Xa Imperium.

2378-9 Second Xa War. Esperanza wins its freedom from the Xa. Nebelwelt colony founded in the Gliese 892 system.

2420-54 Third Xa War. Casseopeia captured.

2521-27 Fourth Xa War ends in stalemate.

2609 scientists on Earth perfect the jump-1+ drive.

2616 DX Cancri colony founded.

2627 Fifth Xa War. The Esperanzan Commonwealth, allied with the Earth Union, finally conquers Xa-Arrack, renames it Gateway.

2673 Sixth Xa War. The Xa Navy launches a punitive strike against Gateway, in an attempt to suppress human piracy. Allied forces of the Esperanzan Commonwealth and the Long Republic breach imperial defences, and devastate all Xa shipbuilding yards.

2705 Esperanzan telepath Illuminati proclaim Year Zero. Next Step party founded.

2718 Earth Union falls to the Next Step.

2720 scientists on Procyon perfect the jump-2 drive.

2722 present day.