Satellite Payload

Description
This tech could potentially solve a major problem for your agency, by allowing you to bypass the interference to your messages caused by ion storms - though that will take careful negotiations of both space hazards and other agency activities.



Cost
- Any MAJOR research

Impact
Satellites allow for the bypassing of restrictions associated with ion storms. Satellites can either be LOW ORBIT or HIGH ORBIT:


 * Low Orbit satellites are launched West into any of the bottom row of sectors (A5,B5,C5 or D5). They allow the ground agency possessing the satellite to receive messages from a shuttle caught in an ion storm located in the same column as the satellite. A satellite placed in D5 gains the bonus of also applying to column E.
 * High Orbit satellites are launched North into any of the rightmost column of sectors (E1,E2,E3 or E4). They allow the ground agency possessing the satellite to send messages to a shuttle caught in a ion storm located in the same row as the satellite. A satellite placed in E4 gains the bonus of also applying to Row 5

Therefore the only way to both send and receive messages through an ion storm is to have high and low orbit satellites corresponding to that specific sector

Satellites are effectively payload - there cannot be two satellites in the same sector (although note that they can pass through each other to get to the right location without issue)

Future Research
"With a few modifications, it may be possible to graduate from merely passively decoding signals coming out of an ion storm to aggressively manipulating them. Such an Ion Cannon device would solve our ion interference problems for good", one of your engineers breathlessly mutters