Setting Jam: Hyperbolic Trajectory

[(E)]

Originally Posted by PTTG

<SNIP> and adopts the aesthetics of real diamond-hard "speculative engineering," but is ok making assumptions where convenient to allow the story to proceed. <SNIP>

What's an important group in the game?

An important group is the Transolar high energy solutions collective (THESC), commonly and semi-derogatively called the Highway department.

Operating laser propulsion stations that provide an efficient means for correctly equipped and registered spacecraft to travel away from the sun. Fees are collected by locations at the destinations that benefit from higher traffic. A collection agency is also involved for those who choose to take a free ride.

This group is a fairly recent creation and may yet prove to be the equivalent of a dot com bubble company but may also turn into something akin to a group of railway barons.

Heavily leveraged to and intertwined with the TFOEB the Highway Department strives for both more independence from and dominace over the TFOEB. The current conflict is over exclusively using TFOEB currency for its fees or allowing other currencies to be used.

Questions
How advanced is cryogenic or similar technology?

Given the scope of the setting it seems to be that getting back from the further reaches of the solar system is going to be more expensive than going out. Is this the case?