IODS
IODS (international orbital defense system) was the name of an ambitious project and organization that began in 2021. Its goal was quite literally to save the world. Today, IODS is essentially a massive space laser mounted on the satellite STAR-1. It's powered by the sun and has several on-board computers of immense processing powers. Its latest confirmed activity was in September 2143, when the Water Federation turned it on the capital of RFF.
History
In early 2018, a new comet was discovered. Its projected trajectory put Earth at immediate risk for catastrophic impact. The worlds scientific community scrambled after a number of emergency meetings and committees were held several action plans took shape. One of them was to construct an orbital defense system capable of heating the surface of the comet and either vaporize it or cause it to change its trajectory. The project faced a lot of both financial and political push back and was delayed by several years, and eventually saw completion in 2044.Historical Controversy
The IODS project was an enormous undertaking that cost untold resources many governments and organizations felt could have been used differently and better. A number of states also expressed concern over having a massive laser hanging over their heads. Towards the end, the project accepted funding from the Centenarian Foundation, an organization known for its more lax stance on research ethics.
Today
As far as anyone knows, IODS and STAR-1 are today fully operational and controlled exclusively by its on-board computer system and the BASILISK system that now lives there, courtesy of the Water Federation.