The Cosmonaut Training Facility's entrance, featuring a statue of a cosmonaut
The Cosmonaut Training Facility was a part of OZP-11 which was the Union of Independent Republics' secret cosmodrome in occupied Vasgar. It was where the UIR trained the cosmonauts in preparation for the planned Expedition to the Moons of Sera. It was also the site of the final battle of the Mutiny at OZP-11 which was brought to an end by a Lightmass Missile strike.
History[]
Pendulum Wars[]
The UIR's Space Program[]
A cosmonaut crew capsule for UIR Rockets
The Cosmonaut Training Facility was built as a part of OZP-11 during the late Pendulum Wars. It overlooked an unidentified Vasgari port city. It's intended purpose was to train the cosmonauts for a proposed Expedition to the Moons of Sera as well as to develop and test the equipment for the expedition such as spacesuits and crew capsules to be mounted on the UIR Rockets. The UIR was also apparently preparing to develop a space station in low-seran orbit as simulated components of the future station were seen in the Cosmonaut low-gravity training pool. [1]
Mutiny at OZP-11[]
During the three-day Mutiny at OZP-11, Major Garron Paduk and his Gorasni soldiers who intended to launch the Hammer of Dawn satellites and restart the Pendulum Wars met heavy resistance from the loyalist UIR forces that are defending OZP-11 and commanded by Major Girek C. Toly. Toly disabled all of OZP-11's electronic equipment with a boot-sector virus, but perished in the hangar while his remaining forces retreated to the training facility where the Hammer of Dawn targeting beacons that were required for the UIR satellites to function were stored. As Paduk's forces breached the facility, Captain Rourke-Karel A. Tagger took the beacons into the facility's cosmonaut centrifuge and barricaded himself inside and prepared to fight to the last. Though Paduk was certain that the beacons were inside, the virus locked him out of every building.[1]
The centrifuge
Before Paduk could locate and seize the beacons, the UIR's leadership notified the Coalition of Ordered Governments about the existence of OZP-11 and the circumstances of the mutiny in a last-ditch attempt to ensure the ratification of the UIR-COG Armistice. General Bardry Salaman authorized the COG military base at Azura to fire a Lightmass Missile at OZP-11 by targeting the Cosmonaut Training Facility. The missile struck the parking lot that was just outside the entrance of the facility, causing massive damage and effectively snuffing Paduk's mutiny out. Paduk survived the blast, but he was badly burned on his right arm and face and too injured to continue leading any of his men who remained. Meanwhile, Captain Tagger died inside of the centrifuge alongside the beacons either by suicide or starvation. With the mutiny over, the armistice was ratified and Sera finally entered a long-awaited and brief period of peace before the onset of the Locust War. The Cosmonaut Training Facility was abandoned.[1]
Swarm War[]
Mission to OZP-11[]
The facility's sand-filled lobby
In 42 A.E., Delta-One traveled to the Cosmonaut Training Facility during their mission to launch the UIR's Hammer of Dawn satellites. Garron Paduk, who had returned to the region as the leader of the Nomads, directed them to the training facility to retrieve the Hammer of Dawn targeting beacons held within. Delta passed the crater that had been left by the Lightmass Missile and Paduk explained the events surrounding it. Paduk warned Delta that the computer virus would still be in effect and that JACK would need to disable it to remove the lockdown. Delta found a security terminal in the lobby's security office and JACK was able to disable both the virus and the lockdown.
Making their way through the facility, Delta found it heavily infested by the Swarm and with a crashed Condor that gave the Swarm several Rejects. Delta fought their way to the centrifuge building where they discovered the beacons inside of the centrifuge itself, guarded by a number of Rejects. Delta activated the centrifuge in an attempt to get at the beacon, but were unable to stop it, causing it to spin faster and faster as they fought off numerous Swarm forces. Finally, the centrifuge flew free and crushed an attacking Snatcher. The beacons were found intact in the wreckage alongside Captain Tagger's remains. With the beacons too big and heavy to all fit on the Skiff, JD took one to carry back to Baird at the Abandoned Airport while a Nomad Convoy was sent to retrieve the other two and bring them back.[2]
Trivia[]
- The Cosmonaut Training Center bears great resemblance to Star City, the training center and mission control of the Russian Space Program in Moscow.
Appearances[]
- Gears 5 (First appearance)