Exploration Society, The

Ad Mundos Ipsos (To The Worlds Themselves)
-- Motto of the Exploration Society

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The seal of the Exploration Society. (image copyright John M. Dollan)

• Established = 2065, April 17th

• Headquarters = Munich, Germany, old European Commonwealth

• Membership = 78.9 billion as of 3501 (full membership)

• Publications = The Exploration Society Virch; The Exploration Society Youth Edition; The Exploration Society's Encyclopaedia Galacticae; The Exploration Society's Planetary Classification List; dozens of specialty virches and books.

Origins and Efforts
The Exploration Society was founded in 2065 by a group of scientists in the European Commonwealth in response to a vacuum that had existed in science for some time.  Since the bankruptcy and collapse of the National Geographic Society, and possible before, there had been an absence of pure exploration of the scientific world and its translation into the common man's tongue.  In a world that was driven by science and technology as never before, many people began to feel lost in a sea awash with new ideas and technologies that had been undreamt of by their grandparents.  Science was becoming specialized, and arguably the future would have seen it as an elite profession.  And elitism typically means too few professionals.  It was a danger that needed to be addressed.

The founding of the Society was hailed as a rejuvenation of scientific education, and public support was overwhelming.  Educational outreach programs were quick to follow, and funding was no problem for the few members.  Even so, vigorous programs were initiated that ranged from the funding of Earthly research, to the exploration of the Moon and beyond.  Perhaps their earliest and most impacting program, however, came in 2112 when the Sagan Project was initiated.

Back in the early 21st Century, nearly all star systems within 50 light years had been mapped with the Extrasolar Planetary Mapping Array (ExoMAP).  While no direct data regarding the nature of these worlds had been gathered, and scientific interest had waned in the face of Man's movement into CisLunar Space, some of the findings were intriguing.  In fact, the first hints of other Earthlike worlds were to be found with the ExoMAP.  The Sagan Project, utilizing a high capacity fusion engine as a method of propulsion, would confirm these suspicions.  Indeed, by the Project's conclusion, hard data had been gathered on dozens of star systems, data which would continue to be analyzed for centuries.

The Exploration Society Today
By 3501, the present day, the Exploration Society has grown into much more than a simple club, as it were.  It has become, in many regions and on many worlds, a way of life for billions.  The ES is the premiere institute for scientific research and exploration in the League of Worlds, and nearly the singular driving force behind scientific advancement.  Through the ES, the ArcWays have been successfully replicated, if still not fully understood.  Our small portion of the Galaxy has become that much smaller, while more distant regions, thanks to unmanned exploration, seem just a bit closer.  In many of the older member worlds, ES virch tapes can be found on nearly every home's shelf.  The Exploration Society is, and remains, as integral a part of the League of Worlds as any government.  And, many believe, it will endure long after the League has faded away.

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