ArcMinuteMen

The ArcMinuteMen was an organization based somewhere in the upper midwestern United States, known to have been active throughout the 2030s and 2040s.

The group came to international attention when, on 1 May 2045, they orchestrated the successful launch of an apparently self-made two-stage rocket into low-Earth orbit from a decommissioned missile silo in Illinois, with no knowledge or consent from any established government entity or aerospace company. The rocket was detected by the U.S. Military shortly after takeoff, but through unknown means was able to evade any interference in its ascent. The 17 meter high two-stage rocket carried a 175kg payload of what is assumed to have been equipment for conducting experiments in orbit. Some of the equipment was released into orbit, while the rest fell back to Earth with the fuselage. Both stages were equipped with crude explosive charges; the first stage was partially damaged when the charge detonated shortly after it separated, and the second stage was obliterated after one hour in orbit, with most of the debris burning up during re-entry.

Largely because of the launch, the organization has been the subject of intense speculation for decades, with the United States government having launched an intensive manhunt for its members after the event. After the launch, the group was not seen or heard from again, and few traces of them have been found since the initial search.