The ODIN Satellite firing down on American Targets below
The Orbital Defense Initiative, or more commonly known as the ODIN System, was a Kinetic Bombardment platform created by the United States Government in the 2070s. The system was designed to carry kinetic rods made if tungsten that could hit the ground with a force larger than that of a Nuclear Weapon. The weapon system however was never used in the favor of the United States, as during its first test firing, agents from the Federation of the Americas hijacked the system and turned it against there own creators.
History[]
The history of the Orbital Defense Initiative came from the end of the Russo-American War. During this conflict, the United States was invaded by the Russian Federation, killing hundreds and destroying huge amounts if infrastructure. Ultimately, the invasion of the United States, and the use of Nuclear Weapons during the conflict put a fear into the minds of the Pentagon. Using this fear as an excuse, the US Department of Defense contracted NASA, in hopes of creating a weapons system far more advanced than its adversaries could imagine. NASA responded with two prototypes, an Orbital Weapons Satellite, nicknamed "Grazer One" and a ground based Laser Defense Weapons System. Due to the events of the Great Collapse, both projects were ultimately scrapped, but they were never unconceived.
After the events of the events of the formation of the Federation of the Americas, the Korean Unification, the Delhi Cough Outbreak, the European-Iranian War, the Latin-American Wars, and the PMC War, the United States, Peoples Republic of China, Russian Federation, and the European Federation were no longer world superpowers. Due to these, the US drastically was forced to reduce its military spending, and force its hand on rebuilding the country after years absolute hell. Although Law and Order had returned to the United States by the 2060s, the United States was confronted by a new world superpower, one that ultimately wasn't getting along with the United States.
The plans return[]
After the failed US invasion of Caracas (The Federation Capital) in July of 2075, war between the United States of America and the Federation of the Americas became a reality. The Federation was now on a roll, and was advancing up into Central America, but its progress was ultimately halted by the Darien Gap. As the Federation was draining the Darien Gap, the United States Government met in a bit of a panic. The Federation was ultimately a technologically superior and economically superior superpower, and there was a very little chance they could actually win the war. Thus, the US Department of Defense ultimately chose to unshelve the projects that were created by NASA sixty years prior. They chose to ultimately go with both, the "Orbital Defense Initiative" was born.
Design[]
Space Station[]
The Freedom Star Military Space Station
The Orbital Defense Initiative was ultimately designed in two phases. The first part being the so called "Freedom Star" Military Space Station. The Freedom Star Military Space Station was a space station designed by NASA and the US Space Force. The aim of the station was a place that could not only control the weapons satellites that were going to be launched into orbit, but also to provide over watch and to coordinate where US Forces could drop anywhere on the Globe within 90 minutes.
While partly designed for civilian research purposes, the stations primary purpose is militarization. Despite being completely out of the boundaries of the Outer Space Treaty, the station could ultimately provide over watch for the US Marines Battling the Federation in Latin-America. The US Space Force would control the station, while the US Army could be deployed from the station via the drop pods on the station. The Freedom Star was constructed in four modules, and due to the rapid advance of the Federation it was constructed hastily by 2076. The weapons platform is constantly manned by crews rotating every three months to avoid muscle atrophy, skeletal deterioration, and to maintain combat readiness should ODIN would ever be needed.
The Satellites[]
The station is not only armed with conventional weaponry, but it was designed to control satellites in individual firing platforms. The First Satellite put up into orbit, nicknamed "ODIN 1" we armed with a battery of sophisticated kinetic projectile launchers. Each of the "Rods" in the Satellite were made of tungsten, and were significantly thin, but had a huge amount of firepower in them. Each tungsten rods are controlled by an individual computer, that can pinpoint precision anywhere around the world. The tungsten rods were 6.1 by 0.3m and had the equivalent of a small tactical nuclear warhead, but without the fear of nuclear fallout, reaching speeds at about Mach 10 and reaching its target in minutes.
First/Final Use[]
The first use of the ODIN Satellite and Freedom Star Military Space Station came on July 10th, 2077, but not in the way the world expected it. Since this space station had been sent up in total secrecy, it was believed that no nation could pinpoint its location. However, this drastic understatement would become an immediate downfall, as not long after the Satellite was put into Orbit, the Federation took action against it.
On July 10th, 2077, the crew of the US Space Force was completing a systems test of the weapons platform, the Daedalus Rocket arrived to rotate the crews back to Earth. As Space Force Specialists were moving about the station, suddenly a squad of Federation PMC Elite emerged from the shuttle, and began massacring the entire crew. The Federation using systems they brought up from the ground hacked into the ODIN Satellite, and took control of it within minutes. As the battle for the station began, the Federation Opened fire.
The Federation's first payload of targets included Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, and Miami, although the Miami package was avoided, the Federation took 37 million American Casualties in a matter of just minutes. NASA Command on the ground, realizing the potential, scuttled the Freedom Star Space Station and activated the station's self-destruct system. This aborted the launch of ODIN's third and fourth payloads, presumably saving dozens of cities. However, the second payload of rods had already targeted San Francisco, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, and Washington D.C. and were preparing to launch. Accepting their fate, the US Space Forces destabilized the Satellites Orbit, sacrificing themselves in the process as they burn up re-entering the atmosphere.
A map of No Mans Land in 2086
The resulting impacts from the rods devastated several regions across the United States, notably Southern California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Nevada, and Louisiana. The resulting wasteland of craters and destroyed cities along the southern United States became collectively known as "No Man's Land". The ODIN Strikes became the immediate catalyst, as not long after the rods stopped falling, the Federation crossed the US-Mexico Border, and started an invasion the United States.