View source for Imperial Cartography Center

{{Infobox Organization
|Name = Imperial Cartography Center (ICC)
|Parent = Government Cartography Agency (GCA)
|Image = Imperial Cartography Center Logo..png
|headquarters = 
|Type = [[:Category:Government Agencies|Government Agency]]
|Focus = Astronomical surveying
|founded = 
|founder = 
|galactapediaurl = https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/VyvY7nE1k6-imperial-cartography-center
|portfoliourl = <!-- URL of the Portfolio page -->
}}
The '''Imperial Cartography Center''' is a public institute in the [[United Empire of Earth]] founded in 2546. It is a branch of the [[Government Cartography Agency]] (GCA),<ref>{{Cite RSI|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/VyvY7nE1k6-imperial-cartography-center|text=Galactapedia: Imperial Cartography Center|accessdate=2022-09-06}}</ref> or its successor <ref>[[Comm-Link:Portfolio - Imperial Cartography Center|Portfolio: Imperial Cartography Center]] (from 2018) states that ''"the GCA renamed the Imperial Cartography Center."''</ref> and possibly a sub-agency of the [[Department of Transportation & Navigation]].<ref>''This is mentioned indirectly in [https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/13873-News-Update-Advocacy-Archive News Update: Advocacy Archive] "...a new system was submitted to the Department of Transportation & Navigation by Usuni Colo [a ICC surveyor]."'' </ref>

The ICC manages [[Deep Space Scanning & AstroGraphical probe|Deep Space Scanning & AstroGraphical Stations]] that search for [[Jump point|jump points]] and a [[ICC Stellar Surveyor|Stellar Surveyors unit]] that assesses newly discovered systems.

Other responsibilites include the tracking of stellar objects and updating of the [[Starmap|ARK Starmap]].

== History ==
The ICC is an offspring of the [[Government Cartography Agency]] which was formed in 2531. Before their founding, stellar data and information were charted and provided by private cartography corporations. Stellar information was censored in favour of corporate interests, free access to stellar data was only available with a delay of years, or occluded by  legal disputes (i.e. about the correct discovery date of [[Nemo system|Nemo]] which was claimed by two corporations.)<ref name=":0">{{Cite RSI|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/16661-Portfolio-Imperial-Cartography-Center|text=Portfolio: Imperial Cartography Center (2018)|accessdate=2022-09-06}}</ref>

This finally changed after the [[Pallas incident]] in which [[Se'kith|Pallas III]] was terraformed by [[Gaia Planet Services]] shortly after the discovery of the system which lead to a violent [[First Contact|first contact]] and confrontation with the [[Xi'an]].

With the inthronisation of [[Ivar Messer]] the focus of the now renamed organisation shifted to providing access to the public while controlling (and censoring) the entire flow of information. All private mapping orgs were nationalized.<ref name=":0" /> 

Messer invested large sums of credits into the ICC while supporting companies sympathetic to the regime with orders for top scanning equipment and construction contracts. The ICC also provided scans for the military on UEEs contested periphery, the [[Vanduul Skirmishes|Vanduul front]] as well as the [[Perry Line|Perry Line.]] <ref name=":0" />

Although the ICC was deeply rooted in the Messer apparatus, it retained political autonomy. It refused to remove the information about the jump points leading to [[Orion]] after the fall of the system in 2715. Its former director [[Loretta De Biasio]] claimed it would be more dangerous if the public doesn't know which systems are connected to Orion. [[Samuel Messer|(Samuel) Messer VIII]] prepared to strike the ICC with retaliatory measures for its disobedience but was assassinated in the same year.<ref name=":0" />

The organization and even their name survived the end of the regime. 

== References ==
<references />
Description	What you type	What you get
Italic	''Italic text''	Italic text
Bold	'''Bold text'''	Bold text
Bold & italic	'''''Bold & italic text'''''	*Bold & italic text*