BREAKING: "ERESHKIGAL IS LOST"

Full Coverage: UN Orbital Authority reports all contact lost with Transport Ereshkigal after TCM failure.

Today marks a moment of tragedy and a harmful blow for the UN Joint Agreement on Mars. The iconic transport that delivered the first wave of colonists to Mars was due to perform a trajectory correction manoeuvre on final approach to Martian orbit.

UNOA has not yet revealed the precise details of the disaster, but many in the arcologies have already seen footage and images captured by Martian colonists of the transport’s last moments as it broke up in Mars’ atmosphere.

"Ereshkigal is lost, we’ve lost all control."

The chilling last words of Captain Johannes Eck were picked up by colonists on the surface of the red planet as the disaster unfolded. It is expected that survival chances for the crew of 16 are minimal.

With growing agitation among Earth’s arcologies for the UN to pursue Earth-centric policies, especially given the exorbitant cost of UNJAM, this disaster has only served to embolden the programme’s opponents.