A Seldon Crisis is a major turning point in the future of the Foundation; should the leaders of the Foundation make the wrong decision, the Foundation may fall, or be corrupted to the point of not being able to carry out the mission of creating a new Galactic Empire. After each Crisis has concluded, a Vault opens and a hologram of Hari Seldon explains the significance of the Crisis the Foundation has just endured. There have been several known Crises.