Icarus Five Introduction

    "Welcome, one and all, to the selection of the official crew members for the Icarus Five mission. We received and reviewed thousands of applications, interviewed hundreds of applicants, tested dozens of finalists, and have at long last selected the eight candidates that we believe will best serve the mission. Without further ado, Director Williams, will you please announce the selected candidates."

    Administrator Burns stepped down and let Director Williams have the podium. It'd been decades of technical and political challenges. But engineers were finally able to repeatedly demonstrate the creation of solarium in their prototype solar reactors. They'd constructed several full-scale reactors across the globe, and with the production of the initial batch of solarium under way, the conditions were met for the approval of the Icarus Five mission. The chosen members of the crew would spend the next ten years preparing for the mission, while Icarus One through Four would be reserved for setting up the initial platform.

    Director Williams cleared his throat and addressed the nation. "Thank you, Administrator Burns, and welcome to all in attendance. This is a monumental day in our planet's history. After trials of all kinds, today we begin the next frontier for the human race.

    "While we reviewed every application for the Icarus Five mission thoroughly, in the end we could only select eight members for the inaugural mission. Those that were not selected, do not be disheartened! There may be opportunity for you for future missions, and we will always need brilliant minds here on Earth too. Without any further delay, the following candidates have been chosen for the Icarus Five mission."