Cyprus Space Program

= Founders = The Cyprus Space Program was founded by Hyp and Jack in July 2022. Originally this cannon was devised by Jack and much of the scientific process was conducted by him in his mad scientist nature, but Hyp has also had a lot of involvement with the development and building of the program as well.

= Description of the Llama Blaster 2000 = Using a specialized TNT cannon, players, llamas, striders, and even wardens can be launched over 2km into the sky in an instant. It requires the use of 96 TNT per shot, which equates to 384 sand and 480 gunpowder per shot, making this project very resource intensive. Decorated in gold, quartz, and iron, in a beautifully designed Silo with interactive lights, it is truly a spectacle. The cannon itself is quite tall, perhaps 50 blocks or so, and the Silo is even deeper and wide to accommodate it.

= The Experience = Players are invited to either spectate the launches or to take rides themselves for the cost of 1 box of sand per shot. The reason for the higher cost of admission in terms of sand is because the sand they pay covers testing of the systems and also for future developments of the program. Riders who participate have universally stated that it was worth it and that they had a lot of fun, which has led many to take multiple rides. The experience itself is not simply just getting launched into space. After arriving in Cyprus, you glide down to Jack's base where the Silo for the Llama Blaster 2000 is located. There, you walk into the domed building containing the striders and llamas you may choose to ride on. You also suit up in the special blast-resistant ACES Spacesuits made available to use for each flight. You can choose a llama and put any color carpet on them, or a strider as well. From there, the space vehicles are sent onward to the cannon via a series of slime block jumping mechanisms which are aimed perfectly to bounce the vehicle into the exact right spot in the cannon.

From there, the rider waits in position while the safety mechanism is disengaged. The operator (only Jack and Hyp are certified to run the cannon) then crucially presses the big red button ONCE (in case one of you tries to sneak in, but you won't know how to disengage the safety mechanism as that is classified information) and activates the Launch Sequence. From there, the rider dramatically is prepared for launch. The machine splashes turtle master and slow falling splash potions at the last second before launch, and the lights in the Silo peak as they're blasted into space at over 1km/s.

The ride down can be described as serene and tranquil, until one reaches about 800 blocks in the sky and their space vehicle unfortunately starts careening downward to the ground. From there, the rider has the choice of going down with their brave space vehicles (llamas or striders) or to escape and use an elytra to glide away and land safely. The rider has the right to collect the remains of their space vehicle for display and sentimental purposes. iSammael recorded a video of his experience and published it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaO5OMSrDGE

= Other Functions = Wardens are also able to be launched in the machine, although getting them into place has proven difficult, and even deadly in the past. However, seeing a warden flying into space is quite the rare spectacle indeed.