Once the bureaucratic red tape surrounding SpaceX's launches and tests was cleared, their operations gained significant momentum. Starships were lifting off daily from launch sites in both Florida and Texas. These missions were geared towards fueling maneuvers, intricate modifications to the Dragon Orbiter, and harmonizing these efforts with NASA's technological advancements. This collaboration forged a hybrid system uniquely equipped to meet the asteroid in space. The plan involved deploying the orbiter as the main ship used the asteroid's gravitational pull to decelerate—a critical maneuver for achieving the precise positioning needed for this high-stakes cosmic rendezvous.

  The decision between a manned mission and a fully autonomous approach to the asteroid posed significant dilemmas. The complexity of a manned flight was heightened by the fact that, due to the asteroid's uncertain trajectory and the fuel constraints, a spaceship on such a mission wouldn’t be able to return to Earth. After much deliberation, the decision was made to launch an autonomous vehicle specifically to land on the asteroid, dubbed "Touchdown," while a manned mission, named "Flyby," would closely approach it to oversee operations and gather additional data.

  The strategy involved using one of the Lagrange points — positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system, like Earth and the moon, produce enhanced orbital stability — to execute a turnaround maneuver. This would allow the Starship, after its close encounter, to slingshot back towards Earth, following in the asteroid's cosmic wake.

  Out of approximately 30 launches aimed at this dual mission, the success rate was impressively high, with about 95% of the missions achieving their objectives. The failures, constituting the remaining 5%, were primarily attributed to malfunctions in the booster segment, particularly during landing attempts. One notable incident resulted in damage to the launch site; however, the recovery was swift and efficient, ensuring that there were no significant delays to the tightly packed launch schedule. This resilience underscored the robust nature of the operations and the high stakes involved in monitoring and potentially mitigating the asteroid threat.

  Even though I wasn't usually one to follow these high-drama news stories, the global attention on the asteroid missions made it impossible to ignore. It seemed like the entire planet was glued to the developments, and you couldn't escape the conversation for more than a few minutes without it popping up again. People split into two distinct camps during this time: those who were feverishly preparing for doomsday, decking out their bunkers and hoarding supplies, and those who adopted a cautiously optimistic outlook, trusting in the mission's success.

  Amidst this frenzy, companies that specialized in asteroid shelters started to make waves in mainstream media, pitching their havens as essential investments. For anyone with a bit of cash on hand, it seemed prudent—even wise—to stockpile extra food and survival gear. Interestingly, this wave of preparation and concern sparked an unexpected economic phenomenon. The anticipated recession was completely flipped on its head as consumer spending skyrocketed by 30%, driven by this sudden rush to buy emergency supplies and survival equipment. This surge demonstrated how even the fear of catastrophe could fuel an economic boom, altering consumer behavior and the business landscape in profound ways.

  As the frenzy around the asteroid continued to escalate, many folks were swept up in the urgency to prepare, racking up significant credit card debt. They were investing in high-priced survival gear and emergency supplies, often paying premium rates as demand spiked and prices soared. Meanwhile, the market became saturated with items of dubious quality, sold at exorbitant prices to capitalize on the panic.

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  Sitting on the sidelines of this spending spree, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of smugness. I had foreseen the necessity of being prepared long before the mainstream caught on, and I had already acquired everything I needed at reasonable prices. This foresight allowed me to avoid the financial strain many were now experiencing, as well as the frustration of dealing with inferior products and opportunistic pricing. Watching the chaos unfold, I was grateful for my earlier prudence, which had insulated me from the current wave of panic buying and its financial pitfalls.

  The launches for the mission were a major event, followed closely with great anticipation. However, after the Starship was launched, a sudden operational blackout plunged the mission into secrecy. This period of silence was thick with tension, lasting several weeks, maybe even a month. When communication resumed, it was revealed that the mission had achieved a partial success. The touchdown lander, caught gradually by the asteroid's gravity, had started its slow, deliberate descent. During its approach, the lander managed to send back a trove of data to Earth. This data, packed with insights about the asteroid, was eagerly dissected by scientists, eager to glean new understandings from this celestial encounter.

  I've also generated an image showing the asteroid as viewed from another spacecraft, illustrating one side as very black and the other as quite shiny. This visual highlights the unique characteristics of the asteroid which were pivotal in the analysis of its trajectory and behavior.

  The mission had entered its most crucial phase with the Flyby spacecraft skillfully weaving through a cloud of debris vaporizing from the asteroid, a testament to human precision and technological prowess. Yet, in a sudden and dramatic turn, communication with Flyby was lost as it traversed the dense haze of particles. The stream of data ceased, and the spacecraft, once a symbol of human curiosity and determination, vanished into silence, never to be heard from again.

  In a striking contrast to Flyby's fate, the Touchdown phase of the mission was executed with precision. The spacecraft had meticulously traced the asteroid's trajectory, end to end, navigating safely away from the hazardous debris field, especially those particles shedding from the sunlit, more volatile side of the asteroid. This careful maneuvering allowed scientists back on Earth to calculate the asteroid's exact trajectory based on the transmissions received from the orbiter before it too succumbed to silence upon making contact with the asteroid.

  The material composition of the asteroid, hinted at through the initial data, suggested a highly hostile environment. This revelation came as the orbiter, like Flyby, entered a phase of radio silence upon touchdown, cutting off all potential insights into the exact nature of the asteroid’s materials. The abrupt end to communications painted a grim picture: whatever constituted the asteroid was not only mysterious but perhaps dangerously reactive. The silence from both spacecraft left the scientific community in suspense, piecing together the puzzle with the limited data that had been transmitted ended.

  In the wake of the mission's sudden loss of communication, the absence of concrete information created a vacuum quickly filled by rampant speculation and unease. The media, starved for details, could only report on the eerie silence, which only served to heighten public concern. Rumors proliferated online, suggesting that the US Army and National Reserve were mobilizing, possibly in preparation for some unknown threat or disaster linked to the asteroid event. This ignited a wave of panic, with people fearing the worst.