Parlowe-Helix Inc.
Public Agenda
The politicians of the UCS promise to have Parlowe-Helix become the ultimate company for space transportation. However, they pretty much have a monopoly on most civilian orbital shuttle trips, and they are already the main civilian transportation company for interplanetary and even interstellar travel.
Assets
Most paid transportation services, for tourists, business trips, and otherwise, are owned by them. Interstellar travel is a big deal, so most civilians don't partake in it, but it's included as part of their services. Most civilians don't travel beyond the bounds of Earth's atmosphere entirely, but those that do use Parlowe-Helix's vehicles. The company is an ICG under control of the UCS and therefore have access to the armed forces of Corespace. They don't use military ships, though a few more important ships are typically armed with a railgun or autocannon. The system they directly control is called Aestas, with 4 out of the 5 planets there being under their total control, where orbital and ground-based construction yards littering their surface. They have several military bases and training camps there, too.
Important spacecraft typically have marines stationed within as guards, and officers of the UCS Navy are often present to take care of ship duties and other issues. Some defense probes typically accompany these ships, detaching when under fire. In case of an emergency, several solar sail probes are sent out in different directions, broadcasting a distress signal. Spacecraft deemed important are typically colony ships or other interstellar vessels. Essentially any ship carrying X-2, due to the destructive properties of it, is to have active defenses at all times as per company policy.
They might not build colony ships, but they do own most of them. Parlowe-Helix is responsible for most colony-creation missions, and every single one in the past 25 years has been carried out by them. Helix Corp. is essentially behind the entire colonization effort in Rimspace, and it all rests on them.
History
They are a successor organization of NASA, though it didn't start out that way. Helix Aerospace Transportation was a privately-owned space agency, mostly specializing in Low Earth Orbit tourism and private jets of all sorts. They quickly grew into a widely-regarded company in the early 21st century, and they began expanding into long interstellar journeys, becoming competitors to major Earth space agencies. They were absorbed into NASA, but it was more like a mutual partnership than a buy-out, since NASA is a government agency. After the fall of NASA, it was one of the few remaining branches that didn't fully die out. NASA still lives on, of course, but Parlowe-Helix has taken its previous glory. The new name comes from the last official president of NASA before their reach was reduced to a national level, Dr. Henry Parlowe.
"We Dream of the Stars"
Founding Date
2068/4/12
Type
Corporation, Aerospace
Alternative Names
Helix Corp.
Predecessor Organization
Ruling Organization
Government System
Corporatocracy
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Market economy
Neighboring Nations
Comments