2399: NASA spacecraft Cortés completes first successful interstellar leap to the edge of Sol system using the experimental Faraday and Nguyen Translight Engine. It’s widely hailed as mankind’s greatest achievement and the United Nations Council votes to implement a new calendar based around it. The Catholic church, left in tatters by over a century of vicious infighting, mounts an uncoordinated protest. The new calendar is scheduled to start in 2400.

1AT (Ano Transilio, meaning spring over, leap, jump, overstep, exceed): A commission led by NASA and the SETI institute and joined by hundreds of nations outlines the Visitation, Inquisition and Colonization Initiative (VICI). Dedicated to composing profiles of the thousands of potentially habitable exoplanets, the Initiative is set up that year to lead the way for Humanity to colonize stars outside the solar system.

2AT: The VICI publish a 343 page proposal for a United Earth Space Core. Of the 99 independent nations on Earth with a space program, 29 vote for yes, 35 vote for no with 35 deferring their vote. A disappointing start for the supposed leading light; made worse by a technical failure onboard a shared space station leading to 4 deaths and evacuation of all crew. Participating countries blame each other for the incident.

4AT: More catastrophes at VICI sponsored colonies on Mars and Pluto; complexes designed to inspire trust and increase votes for a UESC. Wide sweeping allegations of corruption within VICI and NASA further freeze relations between space agencies. VICI director and ex-NASA administrator, Dr Lawrence Salinger saves the venture with a series of brilliant speeches at the bi-annual United Nations Council meeting. The vote stands at 37 yes, 41 no with 21 deferring.